Haryana-O.P. Jindal varsity ink pact on higher education

The Haryana government has signed a MoU with the O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) to draft the State Higher Educational Plan under the Rashtriya Uchchtar Shiksha Abhiyaan (RUSA).

Additional Chief Secretary (Higher Education) Vijai Vardhan and JGU Vice Chancellor Raj Kumar signed the MoU at here Sunday in the presence of Haryana Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma.

The International Institute for Higher Education, Research and Capacity Building (IIHEd), that focuses on higher education at JGU, will undertake the project. The State Higher Education Plan will cover a period of 10 years and will draw up physical targets, opportunities and proposals for promoting access, equity and excellence in higher education.

In his address, Sharma emphasized that education is not mere transmission of information and turning students into robots but instead, ought to transform the student into an awakened and enlightened citizen.

To this extent, objective of drawing up the long-term plan was to overcome serious challenges like employability, access and quality in the field of higher education.

Raj Kumar stated that the long-term plan will be drafted through a consultative, participatory and collective exercise, adding that adding that drastic improvements are required in the quality of higher education for the success of the Digital India, Make in India and Smart Cit.

Noting that that Haryana has a great opportunity to contribute to the cause of higher education he said the future of the state and to a larger extent India "will depend on our ability to harness the demographic dividend and the responsibility to educate the youth".

The IIHEd conducts research and offers advice on all aspects of higher education with a strong focus on curriculum development; pedagogical innovations; faculty engagement; faculty recruitment, retention and development; research and knowledge creation systems; promotion of scholarship and building research capacities; developing international collaborations; benchmarking and assessments of institutions; and for providing institutional support on law, policy and regulations relating to higher education.