The event by University Grants Commission (UGC) was conducted at IIT Madras in Chennai.

NEP

NEP 2020 was launched on 29th July 2020. All-out efforts are being made to disseminate the details about the Policy among various stakeholders and to ensure its implementation by the Higher Educational Institutions.

It has sessions on National Credit Framework Implementation, Academic Bank of Credits, Digital Empowerment and Research and Innovation Ecosystem among other topics.

Enhancement

Sessions were also held on Enhancing the Employability of the Graduates, Bhartiya Bhasha, Indian Knowledge System and Internationalization and NEP: Effective Implementation and Monitoring, say sources from UGC.

Educational institutions must ensure that higher education is affordable, fair, and supportive for our students to succeed, said Chairman of UGC.

UGC Chairman further said providing students with appropriate skills and competencies is essential to help them become self-employed or gain employment.

UGC is working on making the skill courses in different domains available to the students through the Swayam Plus portal, he said.

While students can take 50 per cent of the credits for majoring in a given discipline, they can complete skill courses up to 50 per cent of the remaining total credits required in a degree program such as BA, BSc and BCom, he said.

This will help the students in meeting their academic and career goals, said UGC chairman.

Languages

Chairman of UGC, Prof M Jagadeesh Kumar also said we must promote our Indian languages as a medium of instruction in higher education to enhance learning outcomes.

For students coming from rural backgrounds, teaching in Indian languages will make education more inclusive. English can always be learnt as a tool for communication, he said.

All technologically and economically advanced countries teach in higher education institutes in their language, he said.

Guidelines

The UGC had issued guidelines on different kinds of internships such as research internships and industry internships to the students.

Educational institutions should actively collaborate with different organizations and strive to provide internship opportunities to students, say sources from UGC.

Experiential learning is crucial because it allows students to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world situations and prepares them for practical challenges in their careers.

Internships make education more meaningful and impactful to the students.

Enrollment

Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, our Gross Enrollment Ratio into Higher Education System stands around 30%.

As per the World Population Census, we are the youngest population in the age group of 15 to 35, he said.

If we do not do the education right at this juncture, 10 years down the line, there is a possibility that we may become the most uneducated nation in the world, he said.

There is a big academic need that we all need to be aware of and rise to the occasion, he said.

The third are entrepreneurs, great leaders who have built up big companies that could solve societal problems creating a very big socio-economic impact. These three points figure at multiple places in the NEP, he said.

Examination

UGC has also permitted universities to conduct end semester examination along with the regular semester examinations.

Students need to avoid taking the end-semester exams conducted by National Testing Agency saving their time and money, say sources from UGC.

The Institutions should encourage as many students as possible to take SWAYAM courses.

Students

While students can take 50 per cent of the credits for majoring in a given discipline, they can complete skill courses up to 50 per cent of the remaining total credits required in a degree program such as BA, BSc and BCom. This will help the students in meeting their academic and career goals.

Also Read – IIT Guwahati researchers develop great sustainable method for Ammonium removal

This collaboration agreement seeks to capitalize on the strengths of both institutions, broadening the learning experience for students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science (BS) programs at IIT Madras and undergraduate programs at IIT Palakkad.

To date, over 30,000 students are actively participating in this program, fostering a vibrant and interactive learning community, say sources from IIT Palakkad.

Director of IIT Madras

Welcoming this collaboration, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said IIT Madras is committed to reach quality education to every deserving student in our country. This initiative with IIT Palakkad is a very significant step towards reaching the goals.

We are enthusiastic about mentoring these bright minds. Our courses and internships have a strong emphasis on hands-on learning and innovation, said director of IIT Palakkad.

This collaboration with IIT Madras will build a robust foundation that equips students with the skills, insights, and networks they need to excel, he said.

Key features

The key features of this collaboration include:

Ø Credit Transfer from IITPkd Courses: IIT Madras BS (Data Science and Applications) students who meet the eligibility criteria can fulfil their credit requirements by taking courses at IIT Palakkad, promoting an exchange of academic resources and expertise.

Ø Access to IIT Madras Courses for IIT Palakkad Students: The MoU allows undergraduate students at IIT Palakkad to enrol in courses on Data Science and Programming from the IIT Madras BS program, ensuring equitable access to these cutting-edge skills.

Ø Support for Additional Initiatives: The collaboration will also facilitate student exchange programs, internship opportunities, and other joint initiatives.

Commitment

This collaboration between IIT Madras and IITPkd highlights the commitment of both institutions to enrich student experiences through cross-disciplinary exposure, practical learning, and research opportunities.

It aims to create a robust academic ecosystem that utilizes the expertise and infrastructure of both IITs.

Collaboration

IIT Madras has been collaborating with other leading institutions in the country to provide in-person learning opportunities for final-year students in the BS program.

IIT Gandhinagar, IIIT Hyderabad, and Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI) have already made their campus courses available to eligible students from the IIT Madras BS (Data Science) degree program.

About IIT Palakkad

Established in 2015, the Indian Institute of Technology, Palakkad is dedicated to creating an environment that enables students and faculty to engage in the pursuit of knowledge, to dream, think, and innovate thereby becoming change agents for a better world.

Having begun with just 120 students in July 2015, IIT Palakkad has since grown into an establishment that is about a thousand students strong and with the best manpower in key positions.

IITPkd aims to become a multi-disciplinary institution with 5000 students by its 10th year. The Institute recognizes collective growth, in collaboration with industry and other academic institutions, as the need of the time and emphasizes blue-sky research and directed research as two essential pillars of technology development.

The Institute embraces a vision to be a leader in cross-disciplinary inquiries, and to contribute to the potential that India’s demographic dividend represents for the country and the world, which is embodied in the motto of the institute “Nurturing minds for a better world”.

Also Read – IIT Guwahati and Assam Government launch great symposium