Conference of the Vice-Chancellors

conference of the Vice-Chancellors is being organized in the backdrop of the progress made during the last Five-Years with regard to expansion, inclusion and excellence in higher education and the nature of processes which informed the higher education reform. The 2-fold Agenda for the Conference is:

(i) to identify development issues, challenges and reform agenda in higher education for the 12th Five-Year Plan period; and
(ii) to provide inputs for policy planning and to carry forward the reform process into the 12th Five-Year Plan period.

The overriding theme of the Conference is “University and Society”. The main purpose of the Conference is to come out with inputs for policy planning and development strategies that need to be put in place for making higher education relevant to the present as well as the future needs of our society at large. In all, the following thematic areas have been identified for facilitating discussion during the Conference:

(i) Access, Equity, Engagement and Outcome;
(ii) Content and Quality;
(iii) Research and Innovation;
(iv) Faculty Development and Inter-University Resource Sharing;
(v) Internationalization in Higher Education;
(vi) Alternative Modes of Delivery and Higher Education;
(vii) Models of Financing; and
(viii) Good Governance

It is proposed to hold eight parallel Technical Sessions devoted to each of the thematic areas in order to come out with specific inputs which will need into the design and implementation of reform programmes during the 12th Plan.

Shri Sam Pitroda, Advisor, Public Information, Infrastructure and Innovation to the Prime Minister, Smt. Vibha Puri Das, Secretary (Higher Education) Prof Ved Prakash, acting Chairman, UGC addressed the gathering, Vice Chancellors from the central and State Universities and other senior officials of the HRD Ministry were also present.

Training Programme at the Panchayat level for Rural Development

Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) has prepared a “National Capability Building Framework (NCBF)”, which provides a blueprint for regular and sustained training of elected representatives, officials and other stakeholders of Panchayati Raj. The aspects of training included in the Framework cover an overview of Panchayati Raj, internal housekeeping including understanding accounts, social audit, right to information, panchayat revenues, functional literacy, functions of panchayats in the sectoral programmes and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills. Panchayati Raj being a State subject, this Framework is being implemented by the States including Bihar for which MoPR provides supplementary financial assistance under the schemes of the Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF) and Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Yojana (RGSY).