Dimapur, Sep. 16 (EMN): North-Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) organised an online panel discussion on ‘the importance of new the National Education Policy and its implementation in the context of Northeast’ on Sep. 14.
Inaugurating the panel discussion as the chief guest, prof. P S Shukla, VC of NEHU made a thorough presentation on progressive and beneficial aspects of NEP. He referred to NEP’s proposed seamless mobility of students across disciplines and universities, multiple entry and exit points, flexible teaching-learning procedures and overall, removal of rigid boundaries in evolving a choice based curricular and degree framework, an update informed.
He asserted that NEHU as a central university has all the requisite facilities to implement the multidisciplinary and flexible framework of teaching-learning in the interests of students and exhorted the learned galaxy of intellectuals to find ways and means of a creative implementation of NEP in the context of NEHU and Northeast in general. He pointed out that in the present context, NEP is geared up to provide not only a wide range of choices in emerging frontiers of knowledge, but it aims at strengthening the university-society relationship in the most relevant manner. The VC reiterated the need for creating a society of scholars, intellectuals and of students imbued with Indian values and cultural ideals, it stated.
It said that Prof. S M Sungoh, a noted educationist from NEHU presented on the framework of NEP and gave a comprehensive roadmap of curriculum development and institutional restructuring for integrated teaching-learning-research and funding prospects, embedded in the NEP. She emphasised on how NEP promises to facilitate access and equity for education to the socio-economically disadvantaged and argued for the need of greater inclusive education by putting larger thrust on gender and disability studies as well as by incorporating a greater participation for gender, differetly-able and disadvantaged in every segment of higher education as laid out in NEP.
Prof. Nandita Narain from Delhi University, who is a former President of Federation of Central Universities’ Teachers’ Association emphasised on the need of a critical assessment of ground realities. She pointed out that many ills of the present system highlighted the grim picture of digital divide and fall of transmission of proper educational content in the online system of education. She emphasised on the need for a critical mass of scholars and intellectuals who would raise voice for recruitment of teachers on permanent basis as NEP plans for massive expansion. She raised the demand for spending minimally 10% of total budget outlay for education so that public-funded education is not commercialised and access to education is equitable to all, it read.
Prof. D V Kumar, a noted sociologist from NEHU, who just published a celebrated book on the Idea of University brought out the positive and the negative aspects of NEP. He stressed on the inter-disciplinary framework of education and exhorted the idea of equity and access that NEP brought out in setting a target of 100% enrollment by 2030 to make India into a powerhouse of education and intellect. Prof. Kumar also emphasised on mother tongue and cautioned against reducing the role of English language, as it might weaken India’s competitive edge in the globalised market, it informed.
It stated that prof. Nikhil Chrungoo, a veteran scientist and a noted educationist pointed out possibilities emerging from the process of implementation of multidisciplinary education structure, which require internal reform and readjustments of relevant kind. It needs a redefinition of the idea of credit in higher education so that credit transfer and creation of standardised curriculum can synergise. The problem of access in online classes requires urgent creation of the very best infrastructure so that the issues of maintenance of quality are properly sorted out. He emphasised on a practical problem solving approach in the process of implementation.
Prof. H Srikanth focused on NIRF ranking and developing appropriate pedagogy and incorporation of ethical standards as worked out in the NEP. He spoke on retention of diversity and removal of existing gaps and inequalities between metropolitan universities and universities located in other nooks and corners of the country. He argued that as long as facilities are unequal, it will not be possible to achieve the stated objectives and goals of education as delineated in the NEP, it said.
Prof. O P Singh, a noted environment scientist pointed out the need for step-by-step implementation starting with secondary and post-secondary to honors’ programmes so that foundations of students are strengthened by way of a basic teaching-learning framework. Only then restructuring of academic bodies and governing institutions can achieve its stated objectives. He pointed out the dismal conditions of educational institutions in rural areas, which are suffering from disparities of all kinds. He emphasised on the need for removal of such disparities first, before one embarks upon large reform and restructuring by placing many resources upon the rural sector, it read.
The panel discussion generated a lot of debate among nearly 200 participants from across the country. NEHUTA, as a leading body of academics in Northeast will organise bigger symposiums and discussion forums on NEP and associate with leading publishers to publish important reflections with a broad coverage and participation in the form of voluminous scientific study, it added.
