Expressing dissatisfaction over the non-implementation of technologies in the very universities where it is being taught, Special Chief Secretary (Higher Education) Satish Chandra asked all 16 State-run universities and technological universities, both State-run and private, to be a model for students first and then teach new technology.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Second Tech VCs’ Conclave 2020 at JNTU Anantapur on Thursday, Mr. Satish Chandra said that it was painful to see Registrars and Vice-Chancellors of even technological universities spending hours on voluminous files of hard copies and not concentrating on academics. Office work can be simplified by e-Office and automating several approvals by framing rules and incorporating them into the software so that approval is obtained automatically.
Describing technology as a dynamic change agent, Mr. Satish Chandra said that by the time a student graduates from university, the technology that he/she has learnt becomes outdated. The curriculum should therefore be adaptable to current industry needs and available technology, so that the courses look futuristic. He also advised Vice-Chancellors to deliberate on how practically these technologies could be implemented in pedagogy, day-to-day lectures, and administration of the university.
“If the universities themselves cannot implement the technology they teach, a bad example is being set for the students,” he observed.
The Association of Indian Universities secretary general Pankaja Mittal said that Andhra Pradesh had 31% Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education, as compared to the national average of 27.5%, but this needs to further improve. National Board of Accreditation chairman K.K. Aggarwal said that universities should strive for excellence rather than perfection.
Perfection leads to complacency once it is achieved, but excellence is everlasting and there is no end to it, he said.
The first Vice-Chancellor of JNTU, Y, Venkatarami Reddy, expressed concern over the lack of quality among the vice-chancellors and registrars and the rot must be stemmed in the education system, he said. Quality of students’ education must improve every year, but instead has been deteriorating, he said.