Guwahati: The universities should curve a niche in cutting-edge research and high quality teaching to enable Assam to secure one of
the top five performing States in the delivery of quality higher education and research in the country, said Assam Governor professor
Jagdish Mukhi. Addressing a conference of the vice-chancellors at Raj Bhavan on
Thursday, Governor Mukhi also added that though the State has gained achievements on the expansion of higher education, the universities
should take a pro-active role in improving the quality of research and teaching.
He appealed to the participating vice-chancellors of 17 universities in Assam to take a lead in bringing about desired improvements in the
universities where they should help in preparing a blue print for transforming the universities into institutions of repute.
Emphasizing on the need of recruiting good faculties at every level, the Governor urged upon vice-chancellors to fill up the vacant
faculty positions at the earliest. Since directions have been issued to fill up the vacant posts expeditiously in all colleges and
universities, immediate steps should be undertaken to bring in quality man power, he added.
For quality research and teaching in the universities in accordance with NEP 2020, the XI and XII classes should be delinked from the
universities and autonomous collages, stated Governor Mukhi adding that he has already issued directions to three autonomous colleges
(North Lakhimpur College, Jagannath Barooah College and Nowgong College) and the four universities that were upgraded from the
colleges. He revealed that as per the new NEP, by the year 2035 no affiliating universities or colleges will exist and only three types of
universities namely research universities, teaching universities and autonomous colleges converted into universities with cluster colleges
will be there. So, he urged them to re-orient degrees to duly accommodate skilling and vocationalization into their folds for
creating skilled man power. In presence of State chief minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, education
minister Dr Ranuj Pegu, education advisor professor Mihir Kanti Choudhury, Guv commissioner and secretary SS Meenakshi Sundaram, top
education officials with others, Governor Mukhi emphasized on implementing dual degree programmes for the benefit of future
generations. Dr K Kasturirangan, the architect behind formulation of NEP 2020
joined the conference virtually and commented that the education policy lays particular emphasis on the development of creative
potentials of each individual. It is based on the principle that, he asserted, the education must develop not only cognitive capacities,
but also social, ethical, and emotional dimensions and dispositions .
Governor advocates for cutting edge research, quality teaching.
