UGC proposes Institutional Development Plan(IDP)

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On the 25th of July, the University Grants Commission (UGC) issued guidelines for Higher Education Institutions to draft a dynamic Institutional Development Plan (IDP) for students and faculty. This move comes as a direct result of the rapid NEP 2020 implementation across HEIs in the country to boost productivity and innovation in teaching and learning practices in the higher education foray.?

In an interview with The Hindu, the UGC Chairperson, Dr M. Jagadish Kumar, highlighting the aims of the guidelines said:

“It outlines the long-term vision, mission, and objectives and the strategies and actions required to achieve these goals. By adopting this IDP, HEIs can achieve effective functioning, growth, and sustainability since it provides a roadmap for success, improves resource management, and fosters a culture of accountability and continuous improvement”

What do the new IDP Guidelines Propose?

As the higher education governing body is in the process of facilitating a wide transformation of existing curricula and teaching-learning methods,? the new set of guidelines is a direct influence on UGC’s proactive attempts to enhance academia and research standards. Some proposed guidelines under the draft include:

• Physical restructuring of campuses

According to the draft, the layout of campuses should be updated through infrastructure improvements in a way that promotes effective communication between academic, research, outreach, cultural, and operational activities. Emphasis also lies in creating spaces for artistic expression, originality, and physical activity.? Additionally, there's a focus on essential healthcare facilities, including well-being centers and psychosocial counseling services.

• A shift to digital methods

The draft claims that digitization has many benefits, including improved learning experiences, increased morale, improved communication, increased transparency, competitive advantage, and quicker decision-making. UGC advises Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to develop a roadmap embracing ICT and virtual technologies for learning and teaching in order to progress toward the idea of Digital Universities.

• Seeking external funding

The draft proposes HEIs to identify and prioritize funding sources, including government grants, alumni donations, private sector partnerships, and fundraising campaigns. It encourages government as well as private institutions to establish a sustainable revenue strategy that incorporates tuition fees, government grants, sponsored research initiatives, private sector partnerships, endowments, philanthropic contributions, CSR, and intellectual property royalties.

• Realignment of existing curricula

The guidelines include planning and implementation procedures that HEIs can use to match their current curricula to important national frameworks like the National Education Policy, National Credit Framework, National Higher Education Qualifications Framework, and National Skills Qualifications Framework. Additionally, they deal with training, capacity building, and faculty development along with equipping students with modern skills, such as upskilling and reskilling the existing workforce.

Overall, the newly issued Institutional Development Plan guidelines by the University Grants Commission mark a significant step towards the transformation of higher education institutions in the country. By providing a roadmap for success, promoting resource management, and fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement, these guidelines will ultimately pave the way for effective functioning, growth, and sustainability in the higher education sector.