Prof. KRS Sambasiva Rao, Vice Chancellor, Mizoram University
Officers, Deans of Schools, and Heads of Departments of Mizoram University
Representatives from Engineering Projects (India) Limited
Dear Friends
I am very happy and privileged to lay the Foundation Stone for the various Projects sanctioned to Mizoram University under EWS by the Ministry of Education and UGC. At the outset, I place on record my sincere gratitude to Government of India for approving funds amounting to the tune of Rs. 60.31 crore for these various projects. It is my desire that these projects will be completed on time, and that they will strengthen our infrastructure as we aim to provide quality education to our students.
Today, my wife and I are delighted to visit Mizoram University for the first time. I have learnt that Mizoram University is still a relatively young university, having been functional from the year 2001. But within a short period of time, it has become one of the best universities not only in the North East, but in the whole of India as well.
According to the National Institutional Ranking Framework, Mizoram University was ranked 67 in the country for the year 2020. The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2021 placed Mizoram University in the 601-800 Rank among 1115 Universities worldwide. It was ranked 21 among 49 Universities in India, and secured 1st place in North East India. Mizoram University was also accredited ‘A’ Grade by NAAC in 2019.
I am certain that all these achievements are due to the cumulative efforts of all stakeholders since its inception, and especially due to the current administration. For that, I congratulate the Vice Chancellor, and all of you who have contributed in different ways. I also commend the immense work done by the University in different areas of research, and I congratulate the various concerned faculty members for their publications in reputed journals.
The Union Government, under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, launched the historic National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which replaced the erstwhile three-decades old Policy. This new Policy is a momentous achievement in the annals of our history, as it actively seeks to make India a global knowledge superpower.
The NEP 2020 emphasizes the need for skill development while pursuing education. It seeks to prepare students for entrepreneurship, and aims to make them ‘job creators’ instead of becoming ‘job seekers’.
At first glance, the standout characteristic of the NEP 2020 is that it is firmly rooted in our glorious ancient Indian ethos. Since ancient times, Bharat has always been a global leader in the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom. The Policy has rightly alluded to our glorious past, where ancient India had world-class institutions such as Takshashila, Nalanda, Vikramshila, Vallabhi, etc.
The Indian education system is a complete education, encompassing temporal as well as spiritual attributes. As such, we have produced world-renowned scholars such as Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Bhaskaracharya, Chanakya, Nagarjuna, Sankardev, Thiruvalluvar, and many more. The Union Government has brought out a new Policy which pays homage to this rich heritage of the Indian system of learning.
The NEP 2020 has been designed in such a way that it meets both the local and global needs of the country. Our contributions in the world since ancient times have always been in terms of knowledge and philosophy. Therefore, it is my desire that this Policy will achieve its intended aim of making India a global knowledge superpower.
Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji himself has stated that “The new education policy will play an important role in the making of Aatmanirbhar (self-reliant), modern, new and prosperous India”. He said that the NEP will connect the students with the roots of our country and at the same time give opportunities to develop them as global citizens.
I am filled with optimism and enthusiasm regarding the proposed reforms related to higher education. The Policy lays down a new and forward-looking Vision in order to attain quality Universities and Colleges. Towards that end, major problems have been identified, such as fragmented higher educational ecosystem, rigid separation of disciplines, lesser emphasis on research, ineffective regulatory system, etc.
The first key change in this regard is the ending of fragmentation of higher education by moving towards large, multidisciplinary universities and colleges. This recommendation draws inspiration from the afore-mentioned ancient Indian universities such as Nalanda and Vallabhi, which attracted thousands of students from India and the world to study in vibrant multidisciplinary environments. The Policy aims to have at least one large multidisciplinary Higher Education Institution (HEI) in or near every district by 2030. This will tremendously simplify the higher education system, which is currently reeling under the clutter of various nomenclatures, such as ‘deemed to be university’, ‘affiliating university’, ‘unitary university’, etc. Now, they shall be simply replaced by ‘university’.
The second major reform proposed is moving towards a more holistic and multidisciplinary education. The Policy has pointed out that India has a long tradition of holistic and multidisciplinary learning. In fact, it goes on to mention that the very idea of considering the various branches of creative human endeavour as ‘arts’ has distinctly Indian origins. It further states that even engineering institutions, such as IITs, will move towards more holistic education with more arts and humanities. In order to attain this, the curriculum will now include community engagement and service, environmental education and value-based education. Education should provide knowledge in varied branches. I am glad that the NEP 2020 has pitched for a more holistic and multidisciplinary education.
A new and innovative change is the adjustment of the degree programmes, which will now offer multiple entry and exit points. The undergraduate degree will be either 3 or 4-year duration, with appropriate certifications such as Certificate after 1 year, Diploma after 2 years and Bachelor’s Degree after 3 years. On the first anniversary of the NEP 2020, Hon’ble Prime Minister launched the Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) to enable digital storing of academic credits. Crucially, a new 4-year programme for degree ‘with Research’ has been created. This has underlined the focus that the Policy places on research and innovation.
Another key change brought about by the NEP 2020 is the transformation of the Regulatory System. Currently, there are various regulatory bodies related to the higher education in the country, many of which have overlapping domains. In order to remedy this problem, the Policy envisages setting up one umbrella institution, the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI).
Within HECI, there will be four independent verticals:
The National Higher Education Regulatory Council (NHERC) will function as a single point regulator.
The National Accreditation Council (NAC) will be a ‘meta-accrediting body’.
The Higher Education Grants Council (HEGC) will carry out funding.
Finally, the General Education Council (GEC) will frame expected learning outcomes.
Thus, the current problem related to the presence of numerous regulatory bodies will be solved in a streamlined manner.
The distinguished academicians who have gathered here have an important responsibility in ensuring the success of the National Education Policy 2020, especially in relation to higher education. As such, I urge and encourage you to continue doing the best you can for the achievement of the quality education that we strive for. I also hope that these upcoming projects under EWS will be a massive blessing for our education system.
Once again, I thank the Government of India for approving these projects under EWS, and I look forward to their completion for the continued success of Mizoram University.
Thank you.
Jai Hind.
