Working Groups for the Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-2012)

Higher Education

Dated 24th July 2006

In the context of the formulation of the Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-12), it has been decided to set up a Working Group on Higher Education under the Department of Secondary and Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development.

I. The Terms of Reference of the Working Group.

  1. To review the present status of higher education in the country with a particular focus on the future development perspective between 2007-12
  2. To examine critically the issues of access, quality, relevance and equity in the higher education system
    • To increase enrolment in higher education in the relevant age group
    • To ascertain how far conventional/open universities system has reached educationally backward districts
    • Improve quality of teaching, with focus on upgrading of infrastructure, filling up of vacant faculty positions, greater use of ICTs, provision of broadband connectivity, revision/modernization of syllabi to take care of emerging needs.
  3. To assess the academic and infrastructure standards of the State Universities with a view to minimize variation in standards and in fund releases.
  4. To suggest measures for bringing girls, SC and STs, OBCs, Minorities, the Disabled and other disadvantaged groups on par with the rest, in the area of Higher Education.
  5. To critically examine the role of the UGC and Association of Indian Universities as regulatory bodies.
  6. To suggest measures for providing adequate financial and other support to (i) talented and (ii) needy students, so that they are able to realize their full potential, and no one desirous of pursuing Higher Education is deprived of it due to financial and other constraints.
  7. To suggest measures for internal and external resource generation in the higher education system
  8. Suggest measures for upgrading a few existing selected universities with a "potential for excellence" in the XI Plan.
  9. Suggest measures to tackle the problem of regional imbalances in access to higher education.
  10. To examine service conditions of teachers to attract the best talent in teaching and research.
  11. To suggest measures to enhance enrolment of women students.
  12. To suggest a long-term vision and short term proposals for creating infrastructural facilities for differently abled students.
  13. To suggest measures for coordination between the UGC and other Professional Councils.
  14. To examine the issue of internal generation of resources and the recommendations made by the CABE Committee on Financing of Higher and Technical Education that the upper limit of cost recovery by student fees shall not be more than 20%.

II. The Composition of the Working Group. s

  1. Secretary (S and HE), Department of Secondary and Higher Education, MHRD, Shastri Bhavan, New Delhi  -    Chairman
  2. Prof. Sukhadeo Thorat, Chairman, UGC, 2, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi
  3. Prof. Ved Prakash, Director, NIEPA, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi.
  4. Prof. H.P. Dikshit, VC, IGNOU, Maidan Garhi, New Delhi
  5. Prof. Fr. Xavier Alphons, Director, MCRDCE, Gokul Village, A Block, Flat No. S-5 and S-6, R.K. Mutt Road, R.A. Puram, Chennai-600 028 Fax : 044-24612695
  6. Prof. Kolaskar, Former Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bio-informatics Department, Pune University, Pune-411007 Phone - 020-25690250
  7. Prof. Mushirul Hasan, VC, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
  8. Prof. Syed E. Hasnavi, VC, Hyderabad University, Andhra Pradesh
  9. Prof. R. Harshe, VC, Allahabad University, Uttar Pradesh,
  10. Prof. V.S.  Prasad, Director, National Assessment and Accreditation Council, Bangalore.
  11. Dr. N.R. Madhava Menon, Director, National Judicial Academy, Bhopal
  12. Prof. Vibha Dhawan, VC, The Energy and Research Institute (TERI), India Habitat Centre, New Delhi
  13. Prof. N.R. Banerjee, VC and Director, Bhopal Engineering College, Bhopal
  14. Prof. Tapas Majumdar, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi
  15. Prof. Jayati Ghosh, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi
  16. Prof. Sanjay Dhande, Director, IIT, Kanpur
  17. Prof. Balakrishnan, Deputy Director, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
  18. Ms. Mahashweta Devi, 50-B, Prince Ghulam Shah Road, Kolkata-700032.
  19. Principal Secretary of Higher Education Government of Karnataka. Secretariat Bangalore.
  20. Principal Secretary of Higher Education Government of Chattisgarh. Raipur.
  21. Economic Adviser (P), Department of S and HE. MHRD. Shastri Bahavn. New Delhi.
  22. Prof. J.B.G. Tilak, Sr. Fellow, NIEPA. Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi - 16.
  23. Director (Education), Planning Commission
  24. Prof. M. Ananda Krishna, Chairman, Madras Institute of Development Studies. Chennai.
  25. Prof. Govardhan Mehta, Director, NAAC, 2/4, Dr. Rajkumar Road, P. O. Box No. 1075, Rajajinagar,Bangalore - 560 010 .
  26. Dr. Ravi Shankar Srivastava,   Member, National Commission on Enterprises   in Unorganised Sector, 19th Floor, Jawahar Vyapar Bhavan, 1, Tosltory Marg, New Delhi-110001. Fax: 23701234
  27. Prof. Sydney Rebeiro, A-681, Sarita Vihar, New Delhi - 110076. sydneyrebeiro[at]yahoo[dot]com - Member
  28. Joint Secretary (HE), Deppt. Of S and HE - Member-Secretary

The Chairman of the Working Group may, if deemed necessary constitute sub­groups and/or co-opt additional members.

The expenditure on TA/DA etc. of the official members in connection with the meetings of the Working Group will be borne by the parent Department/Ministry/ Organization to which the official belongs, as per the rules of entitlement applicable to them.

The non-official members of the Working Group will be entitled to TA/DA as permissible to Grade I officers of the Government of India under SR 190(a) and this "^-expenditure will be borne by the Planning Commission.

The Working Group will finalise its report by 30th September, 2006.