The changing face of universities over the years

The earliest examples of the concept of a university as a place of higher learning can be found in medieval history.

While the University of Bologna in Italy, known for the study of law, is recognised as the oldest in the world, Nalanda University in Bihar is considered one of the greatest centres of learning in ancient times and the world’s first residential University.

There is, then, the University of Calcutta, the oldest and one of the most prestigious institutions. The Massachusetts Institute of technology (MIT) is generally accepted as the front runner among the universities in the world. Harvard and Yale in the USA, Cambridge and Oxford in England, the University of Melbourne in Australia, the University of Singapore and the Peking University also ranking among them.

While universities do need autonomy, excessive freedom can lead to pitfalls such as a decline in academic rigour. Poor oversight can also create an environment conducive to propagation of religious fundamentalism or extreme political persuasions.

The need for universities, which specialise in traditional arts and crafts, such as dance, music, painting, sculpture, apart from games and sports, is being advocated by experts in recent times.

It is felt that they can promote self-realisation as well as lead to more opportunities for gainful employment.

The history created by the legendary rock band, ‘The Beatles’, in the early 1960s, the dazzling careers of celebrities such as matinee idol Amitabh Bachchan, and cricket superstars Sachin Tendulkar and M.S. Dhoni should serve as inspiration for taking such an idea forward. It has also been felt in some quarters that their scope needs also to be extended to cover traditional rural sports like Kho Kho and Kabaddi. The move is expected to increase the chances of the students obtaining employment.

Many feel that universities need to insist on a requirement of apprentice experience, or practical orientation, so that students can hit the ground running, after leaving the institutions, with a valuable addition to their curriculum vitae.

High-end institutions send pupils on educational tours, to within the country and abroad, make them gain experience and exposure to the environment outside, to enable better preparation for competing in the emerging highly competitive environment.

Universities are of different types, such as Central universities, which are established by acts of Parliament, State universities and deemed universities. There are also colleges which can be affiliated or be autonomous depending on the degree of control exercised on their academic, administrative and financial matters, by the universities in whose jurisdiction they are located.

The affairs of universities in the country are promoted, coordinated and supported by several institutions and organisations.

For example the University Grants Commission (UGC) is the statutory body that has been established to ensure qualitative development of higher education, setting standards, promoting quality assurance, and providing funds for various initiatives, apart from according recognition to universities and colleges and disburse funds.

Likewise the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), is a statutory body that is responsible for proper planning and coordinated development of the graduate, post-graduate, technical and management education system.

Similarly the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) plays a vital role in the education system by promoting cooperation, facilitating recognition of qualifications and acting as a liaison between universities and government bodies. It is also recognition of degrees and diplomas awarded by the universities recognised by the UGC as an implementing agency for the agreements signed between India and other countries in the field of education.

Reverting to the question of the desirability of government funding, a consensus is beginning to emerge in recent times, suggesting that the current funding model may not be efficient or transparent, and that the governments should explore ways to allocate funds more effectively, focusing on outcomes, research, and innovation. Governments should certainly not stop. Such a step would negatively impact accessibility, equity, and overall development. Without government oversight, quality could decline, and the focus might shift away from public good towards profit maximisation.

A balanced approach, combining government support with private investment, is crucial for supplementing resources and encouraging competition. Mechanisms like tax breaks for educational institutions and scholarships for students can incentivize private participation. Private institutions can contribute to quality, and government-funded institutions often set the standards for academic excellence and research. Institutions can also explore other avenues such as like alumni contributions, endowments, and industry collaborations. All funding, however, should be tied to performance metrics like student outcomes, research output, and industry linkages in order to incentivize institutions to improve their quality and relevance.

It is unfortunate that several colleges resort to the pernicious practice of linking admissions to donations thus becoming centres for selling degrees or, quite literally, shops selling degrees. A policy environment, it is spelt, needs to be put in place which enables exploration of alternative fundraising methods like issuance of debentures to the general public.

Increased participation of students in the process of evaluating the efficacy of the economic and administrative functioning of learning centres, including the introduction of self-assessment, have also been advocated by some experts.

A university student wanted to sit next to one of his teachers at lunch

However, the teacher looked at the student with an arrogant face and said:

‘A swan shan’t be friends with a pig.’

‘Then I shall fly on,’ answered the student with a smile.

The teacher was clearly vexed by the cheeky reply and decided to make sure to do everything in his power to fail the student at the exams.

At the oral exam, he gave the student the hardest questions, but the student had amazing answers for everything. Therefore, hoping he could still fail his victim, the teacher asked him a trickier question:

‘You’re walking on a road and you find two bags. One contains gold, the other cleverness. Which bag do you choose?’

‘The gold.’

‘Unfortunately, I don’t agree. I’d choose cleverness, because that’s more important than money.’

‘Everyone would choose what they don’t have,’ says the student.

The teacher turns red, and he’s so angry he writes “ass” on the student’s paper. The student leaves without looking at the paper. However, he returns shortly, gives back his paper and says:

‘Excuse me sir, you did sign my paper, but you forgot to give my grade!’

(The writer was formerly Chief Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh)