Why Lectures In Odisha Institutes Would Not Be The Same Again?

New Delhi: Higher educational institutes in Odisha such as the Utkal University and IIT Bhubaneswar could soon see the likes of eminent mathematician Manjul Bhargava or historian Irfan Habib imparting lectures to students.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) in a communication to all vice-chancellors on Monday, said all such “distinguished visiting faculties” invited to the campuses could be paid Rs 5000 for an hour-long lecture. They could be invited for a single lecture or a series of lectures.

Academic circles see the move as a step towards raising the quality of higher education in the country and enriching the knowledge base of students.

None of the Indian universities figure in the list of top 100 global institutes; one prime reason being the unavailability of quality faculty.

At the full commission meeting on April 9, UGC had approved the proposal for engaging “distinguished visiting faculties” to help higher educational institutes to improve learning.

According to the guidelines circulated among the vice chancellors, the visiting lecturers need not be confined to academicians only. They could also include eminent personalities with immense contribution to their respective disciplines, senior industry personnel as well as senior government officials.

The guidelines also state that the visiting faculties should be from outside the university or institute concerned.

So one need not be surprised if Manjul Bhargava is seen taking a special IIT class or Irfan Habib delivering lectures on medieval history and the relevance of Harappan civilization in contemporary times at an Odisha institute in the near future.