National Knowledge Network
Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal has said that India will get its national knowledge network in another two years. The ambitious network will connect 31,000 colleges around the country. Students from any college would be able to pursue course from any other college or attend lecture given from any professor. The minister said this while attending CII Edu Summit 2011.
Elaborating further, he said that the network would be followed in schools in some more years time. Every village would be connected through fiber optics in three years and wireless broadband would be accessible to every school. There would be 1,100 open source courses that anybody can persue free of cost, he said.
Sibal further informed that by 2013, the government will put in place a common entrance mechanism other than the general CBSE/state board class 12 examinations on the basis of which every college would admit students.
Speaking on the National Vocational Education Qualifications Framework, he said “The levels started from 1 to 7 right up to the graduation would be awarded to students taking up vocational courses after class 8, aiming to imbibe more of skills and less of academic,” he informed. He added, “The syllabi for these courses are being developed in close association with industry.
And 150 courses have already been developed in just automobile industry.” “This skill development programme is expected before 2014, he said.
On industry academia interaction, he said that the ministry is working on ‘dual appointment system’, in which one who is appointed in laboratory can also be able to teach in university (emeritus faculty).
There will be many teacher training programmes in the 12th Year Plan in public private partnership, he informed.
Sibal said some of the Acts including Education Malpractices Bill, Foreigners’ Education Providers Bill, Accreditation Bill and Universities for innovation Bill are before the standing committee of the parliament and malpractices bill is expected to come in the coming session.
Under Universities for innovation bill, he said that 13-14 universities would be developed like university for design that would deal all types of design, university for urban development which would address issues of migration, transportation, housing for poor etc.
[Source: Hindustan Times]
