Indian Education System has often been termed as more academic and less practical. The emphasis is more on just completing education and not on research or deep study, which is not a norm abroad. Research is equally encouraged and financially supported by universities abroad and hence most of the scholars emanate from abroad. [/i]
Steps are now being taken by the prominent universities of the country to increase the Research and Development activities. The University of Mumbai [/b]has also taken a step in the right direction by providing some budgetary allocation to ensure research activities increase.[/i]
Gone are the days when only teaching used to be the concern of the scholars and those looking for a career in academics only focused on memorising. Nowadays, emphasis is being laid on academic research and the University Grants Commission, the Central educational body, is planning to stream money in it. It is well known across the globe that Indians make up some of the best minds and if given an opportunity to probe or research they can go places. Hence, changes are being seen in the academic system across the country to boost and increase the number of Research Papers by professors, lecturers, teachers and scholars etc.
The [/b]University of Mumbai [/b]has recently made budgetary provisions for innovation club and intellectual property rights. This is to promote research activities among teachers and increase their interest in writing papers and getting research work printed. This is being done keeping in mind the need for recognizing the ingenuity and usefulness of research activities rather than only remaining as the centre of learning by the rote. Over the years the universities in the country have seen a decline in the number of students enrolling for Ph.Ds and research related studies due to less or no encouragement from the university authorities. But now the picture is looking bright in that area and intellectuals can now breathe easy.
Budgetary allocation[/b]
The University of Mumbai (MU) [/b]has also gone a step ahead and in order to promote research activities among teachers, it has recently decided to allocate or award a sum of 2 lakh rupees to the best and ingenious research effort. Also, the University has gone ahead and announced a major allocation of funds for the colleges to conduct and organize international seminars/conferences. This will promote greater participation and increase interaction of students from across the world and provide the local students an opportunity to learn and gain exposure from students coming from different countries with different educational backgrounds. More and more exchange programs would also mean scholars coming from abroad and giving lectures to students in MU.
Education System needs a revamp[/b]
Such initiatives are the need of the hour to improve the lot of education in India. The country is staring at an ever increasing demand for good colleges and institutes of learning which can guarantee quality education along with a certified professional future. Several new universities, focussing on professional courses, are being unveiled across the country, as the demand for them increases every day.
The Ministry of Human Resources has brought many changes in the education system recently but more needs to be done in terms of improving the quality of education, the number of institutes, the courses offered, specializations and the fee structures. Sixty per cent of the population comprises the youth now and it is a challenge to fulfil the needs of providing decent education to this burgeoning demand.
The University of Mumbai [/b]has taken the first step and hope so more follow the line. The prerequisite is to inculcate the habit of specialising and researching among students and teachers alike. That’s the real wealth of an academic system. [/b]
About the Author:[/b]
The author Anupam is a media consultant and an avid writer with ten years of experience in print and television media. She has written thousands of useful articles on career in photographic courses in India