Performance-linked funds for colleges, universities

Geetanjali Gayatri

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 22

Government funding to Haryana’s universities and colleges will be linked to their performance from the forthcoming academic session with focus on research and employability.

The idea is to raise the quality of learning in educational institutions so as to make pass-outs employable and, in turn, incentivise better results.

The Higher Education Department, Haryana, will evaluate institutions annually on several parameters such as academics, teaching, inclusiveness, social impact and collaboration with other institutions. The parameters have already found acceptance among Vice-Chancellors.

Sources said linking performance with the sanction of funds was in the process of being finalised. Institutions scoring 70 per cent or above will get 100 per cent funding, while those who reach the optimum level of cent percent will get additional funds.

For colleges and universities in the “under 70 per cent” category, the department will propose a budget cut. These institutions will be given a chance to improve the quality. After exhausting the option of warnings, purse strings will be tightened for those failing to improve.

As per the new initiative, universities and colleges will be marked for several accomplishments. A maximum of 20 per cent marks have been set aside for teaching quality alone. Under this parameter, the institution — college or university — will have to give details of number of pass-outs every year, the average attendance of students and faculty and student satisfaction surveys.

Universities and colleges will have to specify the number of examination days. This has been especially incorporated because the department received feedback that the institutions were stretching examination days, resulting in fewer teaching days.

The status of several accreditations will count, while institutions can avail five per cent marks for MoUs signed with national or international institutions on curriculum, student or faculty exchange programmes. Ten per cent marks have been set aside for employability which will depend on the percentage of placements and availability of job-oriented courses. “We have had a meeting with the Finance Department for incentivising universities that will perform well. The idea has found favour with Vice-Chancellors. A similar exercise is being undertaken for colleges as well. All colleges will now be required to apply for accreditation if they have completed five years,” said Jyoti Arora, Principal Secretary, Higher Education.