[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he DUTA has consistently opposed the Government’s obsession with Rankings as the Quality parameters used for ranking Higher Educational Institutions tend to ignore notions of Equity, Access and Public Accountability while emphasising on a narrow and arbitrary notion of Excellence. The exercise in creating a separate list of Eminent Institutions is also geared towards promoting a special economic zone for Higher Education brands that may pursue commercial aims with impunity and without any public accountability. This criticism is amply borne out by the MHRD’s announcement of a list of Eminent Institutions.
These Eminent Institutions feature IITs wherein women’s access is limited to 14% of the total students’ strength. Obviously, diversity of students’ profile and Equity is not a matter of concern, here. But more shockingly, the MHRD has selected Jio Institute of Reliance Foundation over many other prestigious Institutions that had applied.
As of today, Jio only exists as a proposal!
Jio Institute has no record of academic or socially relevant accomplishments; one would be hard put to establish details about its faculty, campus infrastructure and courses. The inclusion of clauses which allow paper proposals to qualify as an Eminent Institution is an academic corruption of highest order. It is turning a government scheme as a promotion for a private player.
Institutional reputation is not built in a day. It takes years, in fact decades, to build great institutions of Higher Education. Hence, Jio Institute’s designation as an Institution of Eminence is arbitrary and makes a mockery of this exercise. It proves the extent to which the MHRD, and by extension, this Government, is besotted by corporations and big businesses. Such shameful decisions become the basis of the fear that this Government intends to put Higher Education up for sale and stoop to any level to accomplish Privatisation.
The DUTA unambiguously objects to the MHRD’s announcement of the list of Eminent Institutions and the inclusion of Jio Institute in the list.
Rajib Ray
President
Vivek Chaudhary
Secretary
July 9, 2018
[Editor’s Note: Minister of Human Resource Development has clarified on July 10, 2018 that Jio Institute’s selection is “provisional” in nature, as it falls under under the “greenfield institution” category.]
