The Madhya Pradesh Technical Education, Skill Development and Higher Education Minister Umashankar Gupta on Tuesday said quality of academics is a challenge not only for Madhya Pradesh but also for the rest of the country.
He said not a single Indian institution figures among the world’s top 200 universities. While presenting his departments’ ‘report card’ for the year passing by, he said, “The first measure we are taking towards bettering quality of education is filling up vacant posts in universities and colleges. Inspections were conducted in every single private college in Madhya Pradesh.”
Skill development is also a focus area and 29,516 students were trained through related programmes, the Minister pointed out while mentioning Premier Narendra Modi’s stress on degree-holders possessing know-how.
When asked whether a system is in place for verification of Kashmiris enrolling in higher-education institutions, as some of them have been accused of criminal activities, Gupta responded in the negative.
“Orders have been issued for presenting smartphones to approximately 1.5 lakh students who joined the first year in Government colleges. Distribution will commence next month,” the Minister said while not providing any rationale whatsoever behind such a move.
The Centre approved a proposal for a `1,250-crore World Bank loan for improvement in higher education. The Government has also provided WiFi facility in 122 Government colleges of the state so far, he said.
Gupta also informed that a single college in each division will be selected for partnership with international-level educational institutions and for this purpose Bhopal-based College of Excellence has been designated as nodal institution.
Referring to vacancies in colleges, he said that the State Public Service Commission has been directed to conduct selection process for the post of 1,646 Assistant Professors in Government colleges.