NEP to be implemented fully in State from new academic year: Dr Deolankar

Aurangabad:

“The National Education Policy (NEP) will be implemented in universities and colleges across the State from June/July 2023 in a phased manner. This will bring major reforms to the higher education system. Our State is the first in the country to implement NEP,” said Dr Shailendra Deolankar, the director of Higher Education Department.

Dr Shailendra Deolankar who was in the city on Tuesday to attend a programme at a college visited this newspaper.

He told this newspaper that the Academic Bank of Credit (ABC), equivalent in credits, e-board of studies, multiple entry-exit, Institutional Development Plan (IDP) and the cluster of Government colleges, are being developed as part of NEP implementation.

Dr Shailendra Deolankar said that the academic audits (AA) and NAAC accreditation were made mandatory for the colleges to improve the quantity and quality of higher education.

The director of higher education said that with an online academic credits bank, students would have the freedom to choose three or four-year undergraduate, entry and exit the course anytime.

“Except education, all sectors witnessed reforms in 1991 when the doors of the economy were opened to other countries. Now, the education field will see major reforms with NEP. There is a stress on providing short-term skill-based courses

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Uniformity in Academic Calendar

Dr Deolankar said that now there would be uniformity in the Academic Calendar (AC) of all the universities of Maharashtra to avoid academic loss of students due to delays in the result. Currently, the AC is different from one university to another in the State.

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Action against non-NAAC colleges

“There are 2,500 non-aided colleges and 1177 aided colleges in the State. Of them, 1104 aided and 245 non-aided have done NAAC accreditation. The State Government and universities will take stringent action against the colleges which will fail to seek accreditation. Action like de-affiliating the institute might be taken,” he asserted.

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3 more Pvt universities to come in State

Dr Deolankar said that there are 22 private universities in the State while three more, including two in Pune, would come up soon.

He said that Maharashtra is the only State where one can various types of universities and colleges, like deemed, self-financed, unitary, Government funded, cluster

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3 clusters of colleges

He said that there would be three clusters of Government Colleges, including one at Aurangabad, being developed in the first phase. “All the six Government colleges of Aurangabad districts will be in the one cluster and will share their resources for students,” he added.

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World to have 30 pc workforce from India by 2040

He said that 30 per cent workforce across the world would be from India by 2040, so, efforts were being taken in that direction to equip youths with the required skills.

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Pro-Vcs, deans meeting in Pune

He said that a meeting of pro-vice chancellors and deans of all the universities would be held in Pune on January 24 to discuss revamping the syllabus, examination and teaching pattern under NEP.

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Steering committee formed

The State Government has constituted a Steering Committee for the implementation of the NEP from the academic year 2023.

Former vice-chancellor (V-C) of the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) Dr Nitin Karmalkar was appointed chairman of this 14-member committee that has Pro-vice chancellors and experts.