Trishna Pegu Doley
GUWAHATI : Assam Governor Prof. Jagdish Mukhi held a meeting with six Vice Chancellors selected for the purpose of implementation of National Education Policy:2020 in Assam in the conference hall of Raj Bhavan today. The meeting discussed major provisions of the National Education Policy 2020 with reference to higher education. The meeting discussed in details on how using the provisions of National Education Policy 2020 as spring board, higher education in the state can be made more flexible in tune with the changing requirements of the present day situation to promote ‘out of the box’ thinking among the students besides promoting innovation and creativity among the students. The members of the group were all of unanimous opinion that any new University to be established shall be as per NEP 2020 i.e., multidisciplinary liberal arts and holistic education. Every University has to be multidisciplinary.
The Vice Chancellors, Registrars, Principals and the Faculty have to be sensitized and orientation should be provided to align with NEP 2020. The universities already functioning in the State are to be assessed in order to place them under one category or the other like research universities and teaching universities. The meeting also discussed that the affiliated colleges shall be converted into autonomous college as per the requirement of NEP 2020 and no college or University shall remain affiliating or affiliated by 2035. Discussion was also made on promoting qualitative education in the higher educational institutions. There will be change in the curriculum to make it more flexible for multiple entry and exit. Efforts should be put on to push up the GER. It may be noted that the meeting held today happened to be the first meeting took place in the state under the initiative of the Governor for discussing the roadmaps for the implementation of NEP.
The meeting also decided to hold a series of meetings in the coming days to make the state suitable for the NEP. Prof. Mukhi also observed that the cornerstone of the policy is to achieve the vision of the government for achieving a global knowledge super power. Advisor of the Education Department, Government of Assam Prof. Mihir Kanti Choudhury and Commissioner and Secretary, Govt of Assam, Higher Education Dept. Preetam Saikia were also present. The advisor, Education also coordinated the meeting. The six Vice Chancellors of the group appointed for the implementation of NEP:2020 are Vice Chancellor, Dibrugarh University Dr.Ranjit Tamuli, Vice Chancellor of Gauhati University Prof.P.J.Handique, Vice Chancellor of Assam Science and Technology University Dr.Dhiraj Borah, Vice Chancellor of Bodoland University Prof.Laishram Ladu Singh, Vice Chancellor of Assam Women’s University Prof.Malinee Goswami and Vice Chancellor of Srimanta Sankardeva University of Health Sciences Prof..Dipika Deka.
