Eleventh Five Year Plan

32 Eleventh Five Year Planshould, therefore, be increased gradually in existinginstitutions but the new norms could be implementedin new institutions from the start. It may be noted thatthe new institutions will take time to start.1.3.55 It must be recognized that there will be somestudents who cannot afford to pay the increased feesand they should receive scholarships. From a fiscalperspective, the government has to bear the costeither by undercharging fees or providing scholarships.The latter method is most preferable because not allstudents need scholarships and those that do shouldbe able to avail of the scholarship at any recognizeduniversity, thus providing an incentive for universitiesto compete and attract students rather than haveall their costs covered. With a portable scholarshipsystem, the demand for admission in the betteruniversities will signal their preferred standing.1.3.56 The operating cost of providing technicaland medical education is much higher then generaleducation and fees in these institutions will have to behigher. However, these courses also provide opportunitiesfor much higher earnings for most graduates.The additional cost to the student of taking thesecourses, beyond the basic level of fees referred to above,can be met through student loan programmes. Banksare currently providing student loans but there areoperational problems. Students at premier institutionssuch as the IITs or IIMs find no difficulty in gettingbank loans, but in other institutions, loans are oftenlinked to providing collateral.Increasing Affordability through Scholarships,Fellowships, and Loans• Scholarships to colleges/universities students.• Effective fellowship programme and substantialincrease in coverage of PhD research studentsunder Junior Research Fellowship (JRF).• Encourage NET qualified and PhD students to taketo research as a career and for creation of intellectualproperty.• Establish interlink of research faculty with researchstudents in universities by offering research fellowships.• A framework for facilitating student loans forprofessional programmes including a HigherEducation Loan Guarantee Authority for coveringbank loans to students of accredited universities.1.3.57 It is necessary to move to a position wherebanks will lend freely to students who have achievedadmission to certified institutions against a loanguarantee given by a National Student Loan GuaranteeCorporation.REFORMS IN APEX REGULATORY INSTITUTIONS OFHIGHER EDUCATION1.3.58 The government has created an elaborate institutionalarrangement by establishing the UGC as anumbrella organization for coordination and maintenanceof standards of higher education, as also otherprofessional statutory councils for regulating professionaland technical education and determining theirquality and standards. These include AICTE, MedicalCouncil of India (MCI), Bar Council of India, NCTE,etc. These institutions have played an important rolein laying down a strong foundation of higher, professional,and technical education and expanding its basethroughout the country. However, consequent uponthe major structural changes that have taken placeduring the last 25 years or so in the domestic educationsystem and its growing linkages and involvementwith the international education providers, the contextof higher, professional, and technical educationhas undergone a paradigm shift.1.3.59 It is, therefore, imperative to review the changingrole that these organizations are expected to performin the context of global changes, with a view toenabling them to reach out, regulate and maintainstandards, and meet the challenges of diversificationto enhance access and maintain the quality and standardsof higher, professional, and technical education.This would help create and expand the relevant knowledgebase from the point of view of the expandingindividual entitlements and increasing the capacity ofthe economy to take full advantage of the domesticand global opportunities.1.3.60 A high-level committee will be set up to suggesta specific reforms agenda in this context. Similarexercises will have to be carried out with respect toState level institutional arrangements.