DOCUMENT

A Proposal for a Tagore University in the Liberal Arts

Supriya Chaudhuri, Ramachandra Guha, Sunil Khilnani
In 2010, the then minister for human resource development (HRD), Kapil Sibal, announced that the Government proposed to set up 14 innovation universities. In March 2011, the writers of the present note were asked by the HRD ministry to serve on a committee for one of these proposed universities, to be concerned with the liberal arts, and to be named after Rabindranath Tagore. Supriya Chaudhuri was appointed chairperson of the committee. Over the course of the next year, the committee had several meetings in New Delhi, and also had many productive exchanges by email. A concept note drafted by Supriya Chaudhuri was then revised in the light of comments by Ramachandra Guha and Sunil Khilnani. The nal proposal was presented to Sibal by the committees chairperson on 26 July 2012. The minister and his secretary endorsed the proposal in general as well as the specic suggestion that the university be located in Pune, where it could draw upon other ne centres of humanistic and scientic learning located in that city. The minister said he and his ofcials would have a Bill enacted in Parliament and land acquired in Pune for the proposed university. The members of the committee were asked to send suitable names to be considered to serve as the Tagore Universitys inaugural vice-chancellor. In subsequent months, many letters were sent by us to the ministry suggesting possible names and procedures. No answer was received. This may have been because there was now a new HRD minister, and the ofcials who were previously so enthusiastic about our report were now unsure as to how the new minister would react. After waiting nine months, we thus decided to have this note published in EPW. We believe that the ideas it contains may be useful in thinking through the revival and renewal of existing universities, as well as for the creation of new universities, whether by the state or in the private sector. Preamble The university as an institution has changed continuously over the centuries of its existence, yet it has also functioned as a repository of traditional knowledges and values. In resisting change and establishing a form of continuity over a period of time, the university may appear as a relatively conservative institution. At the same time, because of the nature of the work it does in society, in creating knowledge through research and training the young, the university is obviously the natural site of new discoveries and inventions, and of radical challenges to existing systems. Worldwide, however, universities are in crisis, and this state of crisis has most critically affected higher studies in the humanities and the basic sciences. While this makes the foundation of a university for innovation in the liberal arts all the more urgent, it is important that we should not simply replicate an existing model, but consciously innovate in the very structure and vision of the proposed university. The university thus conceived should be in some sense a university of the future. Yet it is impossible to imagine the future without a strong sense of the past. The Indian universities we see today were either founded during colonial rule or after Independence, in an explicit effort to incorporate the lessons of modernity and to create institutions of higher education that would impart training in globally recognised disciplines of study. Historically, there was a break both with pre-colonial universities such as Nalanda and Vikramashila, great institutions of Buddhist learning in the medieval period but largely extinct by the 12th century, and more signicantly with traditional centres of instruction such as tols or madrasas where (usually male) students were trained both in the
Economic & Political Weekly EPW

scholarly disciplines and in religious doctrine. By contrast, the secular orientation of the modern university was of immense advantage in extending the benets of higher education across caste, class and gender, and to members of different religious communities. It constituted the university as a truly plural, democratic space where the aspirations of thousands of ordinary Indians could be articulated. Despite their colonial origins, therefore, the rst universities of modern India were sites of nationalist consciousness, bringing students to the streets in the freedom struggle and helping to create the liberal, secular, rational, scientic and democratic discourses that were to lay the foundations of the modern Indian state. At the same time, there was a loss that underlay the evident gains. The separation from traditional systems of learning led to new kinds of ignorance and neglect, and to a loss of condence in the roots of our educational and cultural heritage, symptomised by the devaluation of the study of ancient languages such as Sanskrit, Tamil, Arabic and Persian, or of systems of ancient medicine, mathematics and science. There was a manifest difculty in reconciling old with new, religious with secular learning, and in most cases the reconciliation was not even attempted, allowing the older forms of study to lapse into decay, or to survive unregulated and unsupported, while the new university disciplines arrogated for themselves both intellectual recognition and institutional funding. While there have been some efforts, post-Independence, to rediscover and support traditional learning systems, the fault-lines between tradition and modernity drawn by the colonial state have proved largely ineradicable. The university system in modern India, unlike its counterparts in Europe, has not evolved over centuries in its own soil and has been forced to cope, too quickly and with too little preparation, with the aspirations of millions who view education as an instrument of social betterment, while it is expected at the same time to deliver the benets of research and innovation. For a time it was thought that the public university should play a purely instrumental role in educating the masses, while higher research and innovation were the prerogative of non-teaching research institutes. This separation is now seen as a mistake, and even during the decades when funding was largely channelled to such institutes, the public university could still command exceptional human resources in the form of both faculty and students, and could take credit for some outstanding research contributions. It is now recognised that Indian universities greatest strength, despite the limitations of infrastructure and funding, the pressure of student numbers and systemic faults such as outworn curricula and rigid examination practices, is in fact their enormous pool of bright and talented young people and their capacity to attract, even today, remarkable teachers and researchers. The most signicant recent reports on higher education, such as the Yash Pal Committee Report and the National Knowledge Commissions Report to the Nation (both 2009), emphasise the critical role to be played by the university in renewing and transforming higher education in India. Not only does India need more universities to achieve a student enrollment ratio sufcient for the needs of her very large population, she needs better universities that can rival the teaching and research standards of the best institutions in the world. There can be no doubt that several Central and State Universities in India have tried admirably over the years to maintain high standards of teaching and research, and indeed the best products of the Indian university system do excel in other, international contexts. Given the

september 14, 2013

vol xlviII no 37

83

DOCUMENT
requirements of the nation as a whole, the major initiatives taken in higher education must still be towards strengthening or reforming existing institutions, encouraging the best among them, and creating more universities in disadvantaged areas. Nevertheless, a leading role can be played by a model institution whose task is to foster learning and creativity in the best possible environment and to attract the best minds to higher education. It may be recalled that such objectives lay behind the founding of Rabindranath Tagores Vishva Bharati, other heritage institutions, some notable Central and State universities, the rst Indian Institutes of Technology, and research centres such as the Indian Institute of Science. If not all of those objectives have been realised, they cannot be abandoned. Indeed, the objectives are even more urgent today, when we can at least learn from the past. Instead of using a epithet such as world-class, which is meaningless in the absence of any concrete embodiment, it would be best to think of such an institution, a public university set up by the Indian state, as offering an experimental model of what higher education in India could be. Ideally, it should be free of the infrastructural and systemic problems that beset our other institutions of higher learning, but it must be open to the lived reality of our country, with its manifest economic and social disparities, coupled with a huge talent pool of young people and able academics. The task of such an institution should be, not to presume an elite status for itself, but to create excellence by drawing freely upon the best talent from all sections of the populace, and fostering it to the furthest extent possible in a climate of international exchange and awareness. Ultimately, such an institution might provide an Indian model for a University of the Future. This leadership role may be played by a University for Innovation in the Liberal Arts. It has been suggested that this be set up in the rst instance in Pune, Maharashtra. It is further proposed the university be named the Tagore University for the Liberal Arts, in memory of a poet and thinker who attempted, far in advance of his age, to create an innovative model of universal education. Proposal 1 Denition of the Liberal Arts A liberal arts university, as understood in most countries of the world, is not a university that teaches only the humanities and social science disciplines, but one that includes the sciences and ne arts. The medieval European artes liberales comprised grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music. While such a list would be inadequate today, it is important to note the range of disciplines covered, from language and logic to mathematics, science and music. Both globally and in India today, the humanities and the basic sciences require urgent support, to foster human creativity and to add to our knowledge of the world we live in. If signicant advances of the human mind are to emerge from India as they have done in the past they must be founded upon new scientic research as well as new initiatives in the eld of the humanities, arts and social sciences. Such advances are likely to draw upon an interdisciplinary climate of awareness and cooperation between the sciences and the arts. It should be the task of the new Tagore University for the Liberal Arts, then, to promote both the arts and the sciences under the rubric of liberal arts, and to do so in an interdisciplinary environment that allows creative interchange between scholars from different elds. 2 Structure and Provisions (i) The Committee which prepared this Concept Note should continue to advise and help the University when it is set up. (ii) A sub-committee must be framed to draw up the Act and Statutes for the Tagore University for the Liberal Arts in the proper form and a Bill moved for this purpose in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. It is not the place of this Concept Note to indicate fully the universitys internal structure, mode of operation, and rules and regulations. It is expected that the University will have a Chancellor (or Visitor) and Vice-Chancellor, and necessary administrative bodies. However, special steps should be taken to protect academic freedom and exibility, and the universitys constitution should not therefore simply replicate those of existing Central Universities, which many see as both autocratic and bureaucratic. (iii) The Act and Statutes must therefore protect and enable the democratic participation of academic faculty and researchers in all decision-making, minimise bureaucratic obstacles to research, and encourage innovation in research, teaching and course content. All nominated external members of university bodies should be scholars, creative persons, artists or scientists of high repute. Certain necessary and distinct features are indicated here. (a) The University will be founded as a non-afliating unitary University, admitting both undergraduates and postgraduates, and fostering research, especially interdisciplinary research, in the humanities and sciences. (b) The University will be granted accreditation by regulatory authorities in India within one year of its foundation to enable it to function, receive government grants, and place its students, but will invite review of its achievements in all elds after ve years of work. (c) The Universitys admission policy will make it open to all, and it will strive for social justice and equity while at the same time pursuing excellence and innovation. (d) The University will have complete autonomy in academic, administrative and nancial matters, though it will ordinarily be subject to the reasonable provisions laid down by higher education regulatory authorities in India and funding agencies from which it has accepted grants. Some exceptions are noted below. (e) The University will not be required to obtain government approval for academic projects, proposals and invitations unless the security of the nation is involved. (f) The Universitys accounts will be subject to CAG audit and will be open to ofcial scrutiny. (g) The Universitys decision-making bodies will have ex-ofcio, elected and nominated members. The proportion may be laid down in the Statutes, but there should always be a majority of faculty and researchers to ensure that the academic goals of the University are given priority. (h) The University should have one or more Research Council/s with the task of coordinating research objectives, managing funds and attracting young researchers. However, such a body or bodies must not become yet another bureaucratic hurdle for obtaining approval for research projects. Individual researchers and groups of researchers attached to departments/schools/centres/laboratories should have the greatest possible freedom in determining research initiatives, and the Research Council should act as a coordinating body, helping to obtain funding and providing support if and when necessary. (i) Meetings of boards/committees/councils must be regularly held, in a spirit of open debate, mutual consultation, and collegiality, and deliberations made publicly available through a system of electronic circulation so that the entire university community is aware of academic and administrative choices and developments, and feels empowered to participate in the deliberative process. (j) Administrative, faculty and support service appointments in the University will be contractual in the rst instance, with the provision for tenure subject to rigorous performance review. (k) The University may institute special Chairs, other posts and visitorships for outstanding scholars, writers, scientists, artists, creative persons, and researchers, and determine the qualications of eligible candidates in accordance with its needs, without being bound by the regulations of the University Grants Commission or other regulatory bodies, so long as the decision to create such positions has been taken in accordance with the Universitys own democratic and lawful decision-making process and in furtherance of its mandate to promote innovation and excellence. (l) The University must promote internationalism as well as national ideals and objectives. It may invite applications for a proportion of its posts (that proportion to be laid down in the Statutes but subject
september 14, 2013 vol xlviII no 37
EPW Economic & Political Weekly

84

DOCUMENT
to periodic review) from outstanding scholars, artists, writers, creative persons, scientists and researchers who are not citizens of India, so as to promote international cooperation and exchange of ideas. (m) Special salary provisions, in excess of pay-scales stipulated by the UGC or other such regulatory bodies, may be made for scholars, writers, artists, creative persons and scientists of eminence in special posts. (n) The University may invite funding for new Chairs or faculty positions, as well as research projects, teaching programmes, equipment, buildings and infrastructure, from private individuals or corporations, whether based in India or abroad. (o) The University will be receptive to proposals and projects involving inter-governmental and inter-university cooperation, and may receive funds for such purposes from foreign governments as well as private sources. (p) The University will strive to ensure the safety, security and freedom of all its members in a secular, democratic, and open space, and will promote creativity, scientic discovery, innovation, and critical thinking. 3 Academic Structure (i) Alternatives Two possible models were proposed for the internal academic structure of the University. (ii) Themes One possible model was to coordinate all work around large conceptual or experimental questions or themes that could drive interdisciplinary research, such as: (a) Complexity (b) Non-linear thought (c) Turbulence (d) Digital humanities (e) Philosophy and neuroscience (f) Biology and the social sciences (g) Democracy and pluralism (h) Cognition (i) Textuality and materiality (iii) Schools The second possible model was to have Schools of Studies that would provide the fundamental training in the recognised academic disciplines to undergraduates and postgraduates. (iv) Holistic education While the rst is the more exciting possibility, it was noted that given the new Universitys social context and mandate, it must educate its students by providing them with the rigorous and indispensable disciplinary tools for approaching the universe of knowledge, and must equip them to take their place elsewhere in the world, especially in other universities and knowledge centres. This University is not conceived simply as a postgraduate research centre, but as an institution providing holistic education from the undergraduate stage onwards, inculcating in its students not only the values of innovation and creativity, but of intellectual discrimination and rigour. (v) Solution: Schools as well as Theme-based Centres A solution may then be to have both Schools of Studies providing the fundamental courses in humanities, social sciences and basic sciences for which undergraduates and postgraduates may be enrolled, and interdisciplinary, theme-based or problem-driven research Centres in which a number of Schools, or individuals attached to Schools, participate. These Centres/Groups must not be envisaged as atomistic entities attached peripherally to one School or another, nor must the Schools be thought of as feeder bodies training students for entry into Centres. There should be no hierarchy in their relationship, but rather an overlapping at every
Economic & Political Weekly EPW

stage of the academic process. Below, we set out some modalities for this continuous interlinking of disciplinary training with interdisciplinary interaction and innovation. 3A Schools of Studies (i) Schools Firstly, the University may have the following Schools of Studies: School of Humanities, including languages, literatures, philosophy, linguistics, cultural studies, creative writing, arts and aesthetics School of Social Sciences, including history, politics, sociology, human sciences, economics School of Sciences, including mathematical sciences, biological sciences, physical sciences, environmental sciences School of Performing Arts, including dance, theatre, music, lm, sports and physical culture School of Visual and Applied Arts, including painting, sculpture, graphic arts, textile arts, crafts, design, photography (Note: All these specialisations may not be feasible: these are merely suggestions) (ii) Specic disciplines of study It should be noted that the disciplines mentioned above admit of subspecialisations which may be individually taught as major or Honours subjects (eg Sanskrit, Tamil, Marathi or English literature under literatures, physics and chemistry under physical sciences, mathematics and statistics under mathematical sciences, and so on). The decisions on the specic disciplines to be taught and the degree of specialisation in each may be taken by the Universitys faculty and incorporated in its statutes from time to time, with sufcient provision for change and re-thinking as the contours of disciplines change. (iii) Additions, changes, terminations Other disciplines and specialisations may be added by the Universitys decision-making bodies, with the provision that the University should not offer technological or management courses, since to do so would dilute the purpose for which it was established. It is expected that Schools will have long-term validity, and decision to discontinue or change disciplines of study should never be lightly taken. However, it must be recognised that over a period of time disciplinary denitions and boundaries may change, and it may be necessary to discontinue a particular course of study or to change and redene it. 3B Centres/Groups (i) Initial creation Secondly, the University should have research and innovation Centres or simply Groups which will be created around large or small research questions driving theoretical speculation, experiment and other kinds of study. The structure of such bodies may be as formal or as non-formal as the faculty and researchers wish. However, in order that such initiatives do not simply perish for want of support and infrastructure, or never get off the ground at all, it may be advisable in the rst instance to appoint some outstanding faculty and researchers to set up a few exemplary interdisciplinary Centres around an innovative research theme or question, with support in terms of posts, laboratories if required, book and journal grants, and necessary equipment, space and other infrastructure. The Centre must involve faculty, researchers and students from the Schools of Studies in its work, through regular seminars and support for research projects, and by inducting them into its research enquiries. (ii) Addition and new development It is obviously much more difcult to predetermine the nature of these innovative, interdisciplinary Centres or Groups. It should be noted that while a few such Centres may be set up with the foundation of the University to serve as models of a kind, it is part of their very nature

september 14, 2013

vol xlviII no 37

85

DOCUMENT
that they will grow out of the research interests of and new directions taken by the Universitys faculty and researchers, so the number of such Centres and Groups will expand, and at any time they may be relatively small or relatively large. There may be a gradual process whereby a few scholars meeting regularly but informally to discuss a research problem decide to formalise themselves into a recognised Centre or Group. It may be that they seek help from the Universitys Research Council for their work, and decide to apply collectively for grants to support their initiative. (iii) Attracting faculty and researchers Within Schools, Centres, Research Councils and decision-making bodies of the University, there should be a sustained effort to attract new and dynamic researchers (both senior and junior) to drive innovative projects. This effort should be carried on by word of mouth, by forming search committees, by setting up research partnerships with other institutions in India and abroad, and through invitations and exchange. All faculty (and researchers) must feel that they have a stake in the research and innovation future of the University, and that they can contribute to its betterment. Instead of having a xed number of tenured staff, therefore, the University should attract faculty through negotiable contracts, and while it is being founded with public money, it should energetically pursue external funding for faculty and research positions, especially those linked to vital research objectives. (iv) Schools and Centres to overlap The University must not institute a separation between faculty teaching in Schools, and protected or secluded researchers in Centres pursuing research questions. It is advisable therefore that there should be no fullyfunded exclusive research positions for faculty (apart from visiting or adjunct faculty): all faculty, even those directly appointed to Centres, should be involved in teaching, at least through seminars. However, depending on the nature and scale of the research being pursued, all faculty may be assisted to pursue research goals by reduction in teaching responsibilities. (v) Laboratories and Projects It should be noted that in the case of the sciences in particular but also in the case of, say, digital humanities the constitution of a centre or group may simply arise out of the need to set up a new kind of laboratory or project space. The University must encourage scholars and researchers to propose signicant experimental and theoretical questions which may involve departures from traditional patterns of faculty recruitment and research support, while examining all proposals for their feasibility, perhaps through its Research Councils. This Concept Note cannot cover all such possibilities, but suggests sufcient exibility in the institutional norms of the new University so that innovations are welcome, but their viability and sustainability are also monitored. (vi) Seminars The research questions, problems and themes around which School/ Centre/ Group/ laboratory/ project research revolves, should have regular (weekly or at least fortnightly) seminars devoted to them, open to students, researchers and faculty at all levels and from every discipline. It should be mandatory for even undergraduate students to attend a themed seminar or seminars of this nature every week, whether in Schools/ Centres or other research unit. Postgraduates, researchers and faculty should be involved in presentation and organisation, and even undergraduates may be given some tasks of coordination, and present papers if appropriate. There should be student chairs for some sessions. (vii) Student internship and project work/fellowships Further, there may be a system of laboratory or project internships and fellowships open to students at all levels so that they may be exposed to current research and impelled to think beyond their chosen disciplines. Centres, groups, laboratories and projects will need to appoint full-time research fellows and will encourage full-time or part-time attachment of PhD and MPhil scholars. However, they may also allow students pursuing undergraduate or postgraduate taught courses to spend time in laboratories or project rooms, or in eld studies, through a system of internships and by allowing them to pursue small projects of their own within the larger theme or frame. (viii) Problem-solving While both taught courses and research training should emphasise critical thinking and problem-solving, it is naturally difcult to dene the nature of such training given that problems cannot be known in advance. All that can be stated is that students should be exposed from the start to the difculties of working in real-world contexts, and by working on projects and experiments with fragile, unstable or hard-to-obtain material, they should be trained in the patience and humility required for research. At the same time, they should be exposed to the theoretical aspects of the chosen problem through project/themed seminars and through courses in analytical thinking. (ix) Extra-institutional attachments Centres, groups, laboratories and projects should also welcome timebound student, researcher and faculty attachments from outside the institution (both nationally and internationally) so as to encourage interinstitutional and inter-university cooperation and intellectual exchange. The new University for Innovation must not be an ivory tower of isolated excellence it should establish free and open discourse with its fellows elsewhere in India and in the world. This scheme of attachments will apply to Schools as well. (x) Termination The University should have a provision whereby research centres, groups, laboratories and projects may be dissolved, closed or terminated once the research objectives have been achieved, or if they are found to be unachievable, or if they have lost relevance and validity. (However, relevance should not be crudely interpreted.) As new research initiatives are proposed and new areas of study emerge, older projects may be terminated. Generally, centres may be more durable than groups, laboratories more durable than projects (which are most likely to be timebound). The University should have a system of assessment and review to carefully consider the continued validity of existing structures, and may choose to transform and redirect them in order to save on new infrastructural investments. 4 Courses (i) The University will admit students to (a) Bachelors programmes in the arts and sciences as offered by its Schools of Studies, on successful completion of high school-leaving examinations or equivalent. It will also offer (b) Masters, M.Phil and research programmes, including integrated Masters/PhD and interdisciplinary postgraduate programmes. Masters/PhD, M.Phil and PhD programmes may be linked either to Schools of Studies or to Centres/Groups/Laboratories/Projects (i e themebased and research-based initiatives). In addition, it will offer (c) Certicate and Diploma Courses in a range of subjects. All such programmes will be advertised in India and internationally on the institutions website. Policies of inclusiveness and afrmative action will be followed. The student:faculty ratio should not exceed 10:1. (ii) While providing a solid knowledge-base, all courses should emphasize critical thinking and problem-solving, and encourage creativity and innovation. The undergraduate curriculum will have a strong science component, involving knowledge of fundamental principles of science. (iii) To some extent at least, both faculty and students should engage with real-world problems and address them not only in academic courses but through projects, social work and (for students) internships. At the same time, freedom must be given to both students and researchers to explore new problems in both theoretical and experimental elds.
september 14, 2013 vol xlviII no 37
EPW Economic & Political Weekly

86

DOCUMENT
(iv) The following suggestions are offered, to be ratied by the University as it deems appropriate, in the hope that their general spirit may be preserved. (a) Fees for Indian students will be between those of the IITs and those charged by other Central Universities, but any economically disadvantaged student who qualies for admission will be given a free place and a scholarship to cover hostel and all other costs. Fees for foreign students will be at rates appropriate for SAARC and non-SAARC countries. Student exchanges (national and international) will be welcomed and a system of credit transfers evolved. (b) Entrance of Indian students to the Universitys degree programmes may be based on all-India entrance examinations at different regional centres, in addition to the candidates own statement of purpose and educational record, as well as an interview of shortlisted candidates. The endeavour should be to nd outstanding candidates from all backgrounds, and the effort made by a student to overcome disadvantages should be taken into account. The entrance examination should therefore not test rote learning, but ability to think, solve problems and express ideas. Entry of foreign students may be through an online examination specially devised to test aptitude and intelligence, a statement of purpose and educational record, as well as a videoconferenced interview. (c) The medium of instruction in the University will be English, except in language/literature courses which may use the respective language of study. (d) Bachelors/ Undergraduate Programmes The Bachelors programme in all subjects and disciplines will have a duration of 4 (four) years, and the semester system of instruction will be followed. The undergraduate student will be required to take four full courses each semester. During the rst year (two semesters) the student may choose from a range of courses offered, both within the School to which she has been admitted, and from other Schools so far as possible. In the second semester, she will be required to choose at least two courses in the subject in which she seeks to specialise and will qualify to take it up on the basis of her performance in those courses. Compulsory (nonMajor) courses in analytical thinking and writing skills (one each) must be completed during the rst two years. (d (1)) From the second year onwards, the undergraduate will work intensively in the chosen (Honours or Major) discipline, but will still be able to take credit courses in other Schools or subjects if she chooses. The University may work out the possibility of shared or joint Honours (such as English and Philosophy). All undergraduate students will be required to work on projects, complete internships, and write reports, and must produce a short dissertation/artistic work in their nal year. (d (2)) From the time of admission onwards, and up to the third year of study, all undergraduates will be required to learn an additional Indian or foreign language through Certicate and Diploma courses in languages also offered by the University and taught in early morning or evening classes. Students who have not had the opportunity to learn English to an adequate level at school may opt to take instruction in English. (d (3)) From the time of admission onwards, and up to the third year of study, undergraduates will additionally be required to take a course in some form of creative activity such as music, painting or other arts, or sports, as offered by the University in morning or evening classes/ training times. (d (4)) From the time of admission onwards, and up to the third year of study, undergraduates will also be required to participate in social work and extension activity. Stipends may be offered for summer travel for eldwork. (d (5)) In the fourth year of study, undergraduates may opt to take a foundation course in some research area, specialised skill, or practical training which will be of use to them in future. (d (6)) These additional courses should not become a burden to undergraduate students, but should be part of the regular pattern of university life, given that they are in residential accommodation. Participation and performance will be recorded, and certicates/diplomas awarded, but these will not affect the Honours/Major CGPA.
Economic & Political Weekly EPW

(e) Masters Programmes The Masters programme in all subjects and disciplines will be by a combination of coursework and research/art project/performance/creative work, and will have a duration of 1 (one) year only for students who have done a 4-year Bachelors programme. Entry to the Masters programme for all candidates will be through an entrance test conducted on the same lines as the entrance test for Bachelors programmes. (e (1)) Those who are applying after a three-year Bachelors programme from other Universities will be required to go through a years coursework, taking courses from the 3rd and 4th years of the Universitys Bachelors programmes. (f) Advanced Postgraduate Programmes Entry to M.Phil, as well as to integrated Masters/PhD, and PhD programmes will be offered on the basis of an entrance test conducted both nationally and internationally. It is expected that a fair proportion of postgraduate programmes (all levels) will be interdisciplinary, and may be pursued across Schools. Integrated Masters/PhD, M.Phil and PhD candidates may be attached either to Schools of Studies or to Centres/ Groups/Laboratories/Projects (i e theme-based and research-based initiatives). Modalities for completing the coursework requirements for such degrees may be worked out by the research unit and Schools of Studies in consultation (given that in any case they will be sharing faculty and running combined seminars). Supervision of candidates will similarly be assigned on the basis of mutual consultation (including the candidate) and may involve a pre-registration seminar. (f (1)) MPhil and PhD candidates, after the completion of their coursework requirements (papers, presentations, examinations, etc) must offer regular seminars on their research progress. These may be incorporated into the research seminars that are already running, or be separately listed. Additionally, PhD candidates must offer a pre-submission seminar, and are expected to teach some undergraduate courses. (g) Certicate and diploma programmes These programmes, in a range of subjects like languages, music, museology, editing, archiving, preservation, and so on, will generally be offered to the Universitys own students without the need for an entrance test, but if desired, may also be offered to external candidates selected through a test (if feasible). They may be offered by Schools or by other research units (such as Centres, Groups, etc) of the University. Some of these may be treated as foundation courses for a desired area of specialisation in later life. Appropriate fees may be charged from external candidates. 5 Faculty: Teaching and Research Environment (i) It should be borne in mind that the aim of the University is to promote learning and creativity not just among students, but also in its faculty and researchers. In the nature of things, it is the faculty and researchers who are likely to make substantial contributions to knowledge through research and creative output. Faculty and research fellows/associates etc should therefore be carefully chosen, well looked after by the institution, and provided with research facilities and conducive environments. (ii) Each School of Studies should have, at inception, one Chair Professor and at least ten other faculty members for each discipline being taught for a degree. The number of faculty may increase with the development of the institution. Research fellows/associates and project fellows may be attached to Schools, as well as to other research units within the University. It should be noted that not only will individual faculty in the Schools be engaged in their own research, they may also be conducting larger research projects with appropriate staff. Centres, research groups, laboratories and projects may also appoint faculty and researchers on a timebound basis. All faculty should engage in some teaching, at least through seminars. However, faculty research should be assisted by relief from excessive teaching/administrative burdens as appropriate, and sabbaticals should also be provided to all faculty by statute. (iii) No faculty member is to be appointed without a rigorous process of selection involving scrutiny of her or his academic record, published work, and performance at a faculty seminar involving peers from within and outside the institution, where both teaching and research aptitude

september 14, 2013

vol xlviII no 37

87

DOCUMENT
are assessed. Appointment of faculty must not be a closed process only known to the administrative heads of the institution. Existing faculty must be invited to be present at critical stages of the selection process, especially the seminar and the teaching demonstration, and the research and qualications of the candidate must be made available. Modalities for selection of faculty in the School of Performing Arts and School of Visual and Applied Arts may differ slightly, but should be equally stringent. Artists and writers of eminence may be engaged on the basis of creative ability as well as ability to teach and communicate. (iv) In addition, each School may have one or two positions of Professors of Eminence, who should be outstanding scholars from India or abroad, appointed in the rst instance for two years, with the possibility of extension. Such Professors of Eminence should be chosen by a Search-cumSelection committee drawn from a panel of experts. (v) The University should have a Research Fund of approximately 200 crores annually, administered by one or more Research Council/s with both internal and external members. Interdisciplinary research will be welcomed, but not at the cost of, e g, fundamental work in the basic sciences. Inter-university collaborations and international partnerships will be encouraged. Research and creative outputs will be regularly reviewed and assessed. (vi) The University will invite outstanding scholars, artists, performers, writers, creative persons, and scientists from all over the world to spend a year in residence to engage in less formal interactions with students and faculty, to conduct seminars, engage in new, preferably collaborative projects, and take classes for interested groups. There will be a special category of posts for such individuals, with separate rates of emolument. The University may seek special funding to create as many such posts as possible. (vii) The University will also invite outstanding scholars and teachers from traditional Indian disciplines of study (such as philosophy, classical languages, medicine, music) to join the University on a contractual basis to impart their knowledge to students and faculty in special courses (for which there may be separate teaching methods). Such courses may initially proceed in parallel to the regular degree courses, but may be incorporated as credit courses if appropriate modalities can be worked out. 6 Infrastructure and Physical Facilities It is proposed that the University be residential, on the pattern of the Indian Institutes of Technology, and to this end, land of about 70-100 acres be acquired for setting up teaching and adminstrative blocks, laboratories and workspaces, sports and cultural facilities, essential services, electrical sub-station, telephone exchange, health centre/hospital,hostels and housing for students and faculty. Sensitive and creative design principles should be followed in the layout of the campus and the management of open space, and a good architect and landscape designer should be engaged for the purpose. The National Institute of Design, Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology, School of Planning and Architecture, or similar institutions may be consulted, and a competition held for the best design. Ecological principles should be followed, clean energy used as far as possible, and campus architecture should respect the sustainable environments ethic. It is urged that from the inception of the University, faculty and students should cultivate an ethos of cleanliness, care for the environment, and respect for living creatures, with all members of the University participating in its upkeep. If feasible, only electrically powered buggies and bicycles should be used on campus, with car use kept to a minimum. Initially, each School should have at least one large teaching building, with lecture-rooms and faculty studies for all specialisations, and libraries, studios, laboratories, rehearsal rooms and other workspaces as appropriate. Physical proximity in the early stages of growth may foster intellectual exchange. The Indian Institute of Science, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, and National Centre for Biological Sciences may be consulted for advice on setting up research laboratories and instrumentation centres for the sciences. Theatres, auditoria, gymnasia, studios, rehearsal rooms and workshops will be needed for performing, visual and applied arts disciplines. Biological Sciences may require a botanical garden and animal house. Other disciplines will have other special needs. These requirements may be worked out by the University itself, and facilities extended over time, making special provision for new researchers. Each department should have its own library and computer facilities, preferably available round-the-clock, and the entire campus should have wi- connectivity. There should be a well-stocked Central Library having digital resources on par with major universities elsewhere in the world, with remote access from all parts of the campus, and adequate opening hours. The campus should have a sports centre with indoor and outdoor sports facilities, playing elds, an Olympic-size swimming pool, and appropriate equipment. In order that these facilities be fully utilised, the University should set up sports clubs in each discipline, with interested students, faculty and other staff (not just the University teams) practicing regularly, and receiving coaching from senior players. Other campus facilities, such as hostels, housing, health centre, counselling centre, creche, nurseries, schools, banks, shops (including bookshops), restaurants and cafes, post ofce, and so on should meet the recommendations of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council, and the Universitys own assessment of its needs. There should be an opportunity for students of performing, visual and applied arts to display and market their products. 7 Vision Trying to imagine a University of the future, we must think not so much in terms of structure as of content. Given the massive problems that still exist in the domain of primary and secondary education, as well as employment and careers in India, it may be too ambitious to dispense altogether with taught programmes and degrees, and to focus only on specic social and scientic problems, though in the long run this is what a university of the future demands. All we can do is to make the admission process as open and enabling as possible, expose students to fundamental theoretical questions as well as real-world issues, and encourage faculty and researchers to push back the frontiers of research. The University belongs to the nation, but it must look beyond petty nationalisms towards an internationalism advocated by Rabindranath Tagore himself. It must place itself securely in India and in its geographical region, and must try to evolve a pattern of education that is distinctively of its time and place. At the same time, it must see clearly the obstacles to universal education that have persisted so long in India, and must rise above social, regional or political considerations: the narrow domestic walls to which the poet referred. The Universitys mandate will be to cultivate human potential in all forms, encourage artistic and scientic creativity, and produce substantial contributions to knowledge through original and rigorous research, making the mind free in the truest sense.

SAMEEKSHA TRUST BOOKS

China after 1978: Craters on the Moon

The breathtakingly rapid economic growth in China since 1978 has attracted world-wide attention. But the condition of more than 350 million workers is abysmal, especially that of the migrants among them. Why do the migrants put up with so much hardship in the urban factories? Has post-reform China forsaken the earlier goal of socialist equality? What has been the contribution of rural industries to regional development, alleviation of poverty and spatial inequality, and in relieving the grim employment situation? How has the meltdown in the global economy in the second half of 2008 affected the domestic economy? What of the current leaderships call for a harmonious society? Does it signal an important course correction? A collection of essays from the Economic & Political Weekly seeks to find tentative answers to these questions, and more.

Pp viii + 318

ISBN 978-81-250-3953-2

2010

Rs 350

Available from

Orient Blackswan Pvt Ltd

www.orientblackswan.com
Mumbai Chennai New Delhi Kolkata Bangalore Bhubaneshwar Ernakulam Guwahati Jaipur Lucknow Patna Chandigarh Hyderabad

Contact: info@orientblackswan.com
september 14, 2013 vol xlviII no 37
EPW Economic & Political Weekly

88