Governor chaired 2nd Consultative Committee meeting on Higher education
Guwahati,Rongili Barta- Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria presided over the second consultative committee meeting on Higher Education at Raj Bhavan today, marking a significant milestone in shaping the educational landscape of the state as well as to attain the goal of Viksit Bharat @2047. The meeting delved into crucial topics, including the establishment of a NEP Cell, the incorporation of IKS and VBSY in every Higher Education Institution (HEI), preparatory steps for launching Post Graduate education on the basis on NEP 2020 in all the higher educational institutions in Assam and examinations under FYUGP in alignment with the NEP 2020 guidelines. A focal point of discussion was the preparation of HEIs for the introduction of one or two years PG Programs from the academic year 2024-2025, as outlined in the UGC Circular dated November 17, 2023. The emphasis was also placed on readiness for UG/PG research labs and on the importance of education in “Environmental Science and Climate Change.” The Governor encouraged HEIs to actively adopt Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), Patenting, Trademark, and Copyright practices in their research and development cells, suggesting the creation of dedicated cells or centres in each institution. During his address at the meeting, the Governor expressed a keen interest in activating and facilitating the implementation of NEP 2020. He called upon members of the group to form small member committees of higher education institutes and higher education departments of Assam to personally visit various HEIs for in-depth discussions on academic and administrative matters. These committees are to be a form of peer groups for sharing and mutual learning in particular focus on the implementation of NEP2020. The Governor’s proactive approach aims to address any challenges encountered by HEIs during policy implementation. The formation of committees serves as a collaborative effort to overcome obstacles and ensure smooth progress, with regular updates provided to the Chancellor. This initiative reflects a commitment to fostering an environment of cooperation and problem-solving within the higher education sector in Assam. It is to be mentioned that the Governor also decided to conduct a conference with Heads of Higher Education to give a fillip to the implementation of NEP2020 in Assam. The meeting was attended by Adviser, Education Department, Government of Assam, Prof. Nani Gopal Mahanta, Additional Chief Secretary Education Department, Biswaranjan Samal, Adviser, Chancellor’s Secretariat, Prof. Mihir Kanti Chaudhari, Secretary Higher Education, Narayan Konwar, officials of Raj Bhavan and a host of academicians from the state of Assam.