New Delhi, Jan 13: In a move to make higher
education more relevant, the UGC has embarked on an exercise
to prepare a curriculum incorporating inter-disciplinary
approaches.
The University Grants Commission has formed a committee
under eminent educationist and its former chairman Prof
Yashpal to suggest the framework for the innovative
curriculum.
The committee, which is having its first meeting on
Tuesday, will deliberate on the existing curriculum, its
shortcomings and the new subjects needed to be introduced.
"This is the beginning of a knowledge movement. We will
try to introduce everything related to life," Yashpal said.
He said real education is about enhancing the knowledge
base. It relates to the day-to-day affairs in life.
"It is about how to handle the emerging situation
confronting everybody. It could be globalisation or any type
of problem that one comes across," he said.
The unique curriculum will have interdisciplinary
approach as it will tend to impart knowledge from various
disciplines.
"A student from humanities should know a bit from science
and business as well. Later on he may specialise in the
specific subject," he said.
The committee will also discuss in detail the examination
pattern that warrants a student to study certain chapters and
produce them in the answer papers, Yashpal said.
"The exam pattern should be such as that the student`s
real knowledge is tested. Guide books and notebooks are
anti-education. Coaching is also against education," he said.
UGC`s initiative assumes significance in view of a lot of
variations found in the curriculum of different universities
and colleges in the country.
However, Yashpal said the new curriculum will not be
mandatory in nature. It is completely up to the concerned
universities and institutes to adopt it or not.
UGC will play the role of a facilitator. Universities are
free to devise their own approaches if thought proper for
maintaining and enhancing the quality of curriculum taught.
Bureau Report
