VCs resolve to improve quality of teaching learning process

Vice chancellors from universities across the country today resolved to improve the quality of teaching-learning process and achieve the UGC Quality Mandate in universities and the affiliated institutions by 2020 and NAAC accreditation for all institutions by 2022.

The VCs also agreed to adopt and implement Learning Outcome Based Curriculum Framework (LOCF) in higher educational institutions by updating curriculum from academic year 2019-20 and adopting learner centric teaching- learning processes by suitable improvement in the pedagogy.

A 10-point resolution was adopted unanimously on the concluding day of the 3-day Conference of Vice-Chancellors, chaired by HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar.

Over 600 VCs belonging to centrally-funded universities, state universities, deemed to be universities and private universities, also committed themselves to transforming the universities into institutions engaged in cutting-edge research blended harmoniously with quality teaching for creating and disseminating new knowledge.

We will enhance research productivity of our respective institutions by orienting teachers and students to participate in competition-based research funding schemes and will create an innovation culture and eco-system, including administrative and financial support, academic freedom and flexibility for promoting innovation and facilitate setting up start-ups by students, the resolution read.

The students will be sensitised and encouraged for their active participation in social and economic betterment of the community by adopting at least five villages under the Unnat Bharat Abhiyaan, it added.

The conference noted the necessity to improve the employability of the students by providing them market related skills, apart from the subject related knowledge.

It also noted that improving opportunities to the students in backward and underserved areas could best be done through digital learning platforms like SWAYAM.

The vice-chancellors also agreed to create awareness about ethics in research and provisions for checking plagiarism and to weed out predatory journals.

The three-day conference had six sessions on themes promoting research and innovations', quality mandate and teachers training', digital initiatives'.

It had open forums where all delegates freely interacted with the minister on the issues of higher education and deliberated over the actions required to achieve quality education, it said.