New Delhi: Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD Ministry), is planning to set up a Centre for Policy Research in Higher Education (CPRHE). Reportedly, the Ministry has proposed such specific research centre keeping in view the limitation of research on various aspects of higher education in India.
As per sources, the proposed CPRHE would be an independent autonomous research organization to be registered under the Societies' Act, but will fully and liberally be funded by the Central Government or University Grants Commission (UGC).
The Centre would be chaired by an eminent scholar and will consist of inter-disciplinary-oriented faculty of about 10 members, drawn from areas such as economics, sociology, philosophy, history, political science and public administration.
According to the concept note of the proposal, CPRHE's mission is to become a knowledge warehouse and a cutting-edge centre of research on higher education policy. Its main objective will be to encourage excellence in higher education and ensuring improved access, equity and quality. The Centre would be an inter-disciplinary research unit, but would limit itself to policy, planning and development aspects of higher education.
The proposal further notified that the Centre would cover higher education policy analysis, improvement of governance of higher education, dissemination of comprehensive information base and bringing out quality publications. It would focus on all kinds of higher education - arts, science, technical and professional.
In addition, the CPRHE would also extend support to and promote policy research in higher education by instituting short / medium term visiting fellowship programmes and by providing financial support. Moreover, the Centre would have tie-ups with national and international organizations.
Furthermore, the Centre is likely to be valuable for the academic community, the policymakers and the society at large in providing deeper understanding on the complexities and challenges that the higher education system faces, and on the reforms required to tide over the inadequacies.
