Higher education in Telangana all set for major makeover soon

Hyderabad: The Telangana State Higher Education is all set to embrace the provisions of the New Education Policy -2020 (NEC-2020) mooting series of reforms. To begin with, the Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TSCHE) has decided to study implementing the cluster universities model. The TSCHE officials said that the model brings six conventional state universities together.

In turn, the universities which have expertise will extend their cooperation to other universities within the cluster on how to improve standards in the sister university in the cluster. Further, both will exchange resources, faculty, research and development. Besides, students can also choose subjects from different universities within the cluster, leading to a credit transfer among the universities within the cluster.

Speaking to The Hans India, a senior TSCHE official said, "For example, a student from Osmania University can take a credit course from Kakatiya University or some other State university. Yet, the student's home university within the cluster accepts the credits earned from another university." That apart, the universities together can offer courses to the students.

A similar model is being studied to implement the cluster of colleges which will exchange the expertise and use their existing infrastructure with each other.

For implementing this model the University Grants Commission (UGC) provide matching grants. This would help in the liberalization of the study areas for the students not only to pursue courses from across different schools within the universities in an interdisciplinary mode but also, to study some other university or college and earn credits for the same.

When asked by the TSCHE Chairman, Prof T Papi Reddy, he said that a committee of VCs has been appointed for studying the modalities and feasibilitys on the two subjects. Depending on the findings of the committee's report appropriate steps would be taken, he added.