>Obama-Singh initiative to take wings soon

>India and the US will take steps to increase collaboration in higher education in the next few months under an initiative announced during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to the US in November 2009. The country aims to set up theme-based universities, promote research, train teachers and brand a group of leading educational institutes the Indian Ivy League under the Obama- Singh 21st Century Knowledge programme, named after Singh and US President Barack Obama.

Human Resource Development minister Kapil Sibal will meet US secretary of state Hillary Clinton in Washington on 15-16 June, along with a number of education experts, academicians and administrators from both countries, said a note prepared by the ministry, a copy of which has been reviewed by Mint.

Before that, the government has formed five sub-committees of education experts from public and private sectors to visit the US next month. They will “identify specific areas of interest and avenues for cooperation with the US” before Sibal’s visit, the note said. The sub-committees will focus on mechanisms for knowledge partnerships, faculty development initiatives and academic leadership, academic-industry collaboration, vocational and skill development, and building environment for institutional partnership.

“The US education system is well-advanced, and Indian higher education is gradually transforming for the better,” said Narayanan Ramaswamy, Ëxecutive Director of education practice at auditing firm KPMG. “Learning from each other’s experience and collaboration in areas of science, technology, research, and skill education will be a great opportunity for both, especially for India as it wants to be the knowledge capital of the world.” The initiative will help attract reputed US universities to set up so-called innovation universities with Indian partners, said a senior ministry official, asking not to be named.

The government plans to set up 14 such research-oriented universities, each with a focus area ranging from science to sustainable development. A draft law that will make it easier for foreign universities to open campuses in India is yet to be cleared by Parliament. The official said the Obama-Singh initiative will also help India meet its shortage of trained teachers. Higher educational institutes, including the elite Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), are facing a faculty shortage of 33%, according to data available with the Central government. The country’s 22 top universities have nearly 3,800 vacant posts out of 11,000 sanctioned teaching jobs.

Newly set up Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) at Raipur, Rohtak and Ranchi are largely depending on visiting professors to teach their students. The 15 new central universities, operating for two years, face a faculty shortage of 50%. Although no concrete steps had been taken to implement the initiative until recently, Obama had reiterated his commitment to it while visiting New Delhi in November.

Source: Mint, April 11, 2011