25 Nov : As the government has embarked on a major expansion plan of higher education in the 11th Plan, quality remains an area of concern in view of unavailability of teachers for the elite institutes, including IITs.At present, about 30 per cent of the faculties in the existing IITs are vacant. The rate of appointment of teachers in these institutes has been slow.
"We are experiencing shortage of teachers. In the next 10 to 12 years, we will require another 12,000 teachers for the IITs to ensure quality education," Additional Secretary in Ministry of HRD Ashok Thakur said at the FICCI Higher Education Summit in New Delhi.
He said the government will have to recruit an average 800 teachers annually for these institutes.Currently, the existing IITs are recruiting about 150 teachers every year.
Thakur said the global meltdown has proved to be "beneficial" in a way as many faculty members abroad have evinced interest to come back to India.
"We have also plans to go abroad and get those teachers back," he said.The government is encouraging private sector to invest for expansion of higher education in the country.The proposed 20 new IITs will come up on a publi-private partnership mode, he said.
He said China has overtaken India in higher education in the recent year.While Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in India is 12 per cent with youths in the age group of 18 to 24 years are enrolled in higher education, the GER in China is 22 per cent.
"It may be due to the fact the number of youths in the relevant age group is less in China than that of India. But the government is concerned about the gap and putting a lot of resource to address the issue," the official said.
Representatives from 15 countries, including Canada and the US, have congregated here at the summit to discuss the emerging issues in higher education in India.
A study report on ‘Leveraging partnerships in India’s education sector’ was released on the occasion.
As the higher education sector in India is marred by poor funding, inadequate infrastructure and low enrolment rate, Public Private Partnership (PPP) could be a viable option to improve quality and expansion, the report said.
INCOMPETENT PATIL HAS GONE. WHENIS ANOTHER INCOMPETENT ARJUN GOING? HE HAS DEMOLISHED ALL THE WORLD CLASS ISTITUTES LIKE IITS WITH HIS ONE SINGLE POINT PROGRAMME ‘ RESERVATION’ . ONE ‘SINGH’ DIED OF CANCER. WHAT ABOUT YOU ARJUN -THE ANOTHER ‘SINGH’?
There is a vast difference in ‘saying’ and ‘doing’ of the MHRD. On the one hand they are openning new IITs (to total 20) and on the other hand they are degrading the status of already IIT class technical institutions like ISM Dhanbad. The Ministry should think of strengthenning such institutes and upgrade their infrastructure to easily convert them to IIT so that with smaller spending they get IITs. Not only the ‘getting’ of new faculty is a problem but ‘retaining’ the already existing faculty is also to be thought. Why not to think about ‘training’ the teachers for improving their quality in various research laboratories and inter- IIT transfers for willing teachers?