Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized 101013 Governance for Quality in Higher Education in Odisha, India August 2015 ABBREVIATIONS ASC Academic Staff College AISHE All India Survey of Higher Education BoS Board of Studies CABE Central Advisory Board on Education CCTV Closed Circuit Television CDC College Development Council DoHE Department of Higher Education GER Gross Enrolment Ratio GoO Government of Odisha GSDP Gross State Domestic Product HE Higher Education HEI Higher Education Institutions IASE Institutes of Advanced Studies in Education ICAR Indian Council of Agricultural Research ICCSR Indian Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility ICT Information and Communication Technology IUC Inter University Consortium KIIT Kalinga Institute of Information Technology MHRD Ministry of Human Resource Development Abbreviations iii NAAC National Assessment and Accreditation Council NCERT National Council for Educational Research and Training NCTE National Council for Teacher Education NKC National Knowledge Commission OBC Other Backward Classes OPSC Odisha Public Services Commission PC Placement Cell PG Post-Graduate QAC Quality Assessment Cell QAS Quality Assurance System RIE Regional Institute of Education RUSA Rashtriya Uchchattar Shiksha Abhiyan SC Scheduled Caste SCERT State Council for Educational Research and Training SHEC State Higher Education Council SSA Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan ST Scheduled Tribe STR Student-Teacher Ratio UG Under-Graduate UGC University Grants Commission iv Governance for Quality in HIGHER EDUCATION in Odisha, India CONTENTS Preface vii Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Objective of the Paper 1 Methodology and Data Collection 2 Chapter 2: Possible Ways Forward 3 Chapter 3: The Higher Education Landscape in Odisha 9 Chapter 4: Overview of the Higher Education Institutional Structure in Odisha 11 Chapter 5: Affiliated Colleges 12 Chapter 6: Autonomy for Colleges 15 Chapter 7: Faculty Recruitment, Deployment and Quality 17 Training, Promotion, Career Progression 18 Chapter 8: Research and Development 21 Establishing a Research and Publication and Culture 22 Chapter 9: Curriculum and Development 24 Self-Financing Courses 25 Chapter 10: ICT Utilization 26 Chapter 11: Making Institution Inclusive 27 Chapter 12: Affiliating Universities, Affiliated Colleges and Quality Assurance 28 Chapter 13: Quality as Relevance 30 Chapter 14: Leadership and Institutional Quality 32 Chapter 15: Recent Initiatives 33 Chapter 16: Financing of Universities and Colleges 34 References 36 Contents v PREfacE The Government of Odisha, in March 2014, The team would like to express its gratitude to all the requested the World Bank to support its effort to university and college staff at the eight universities reform its universities and colleges through technical and colleges taking part in the study who were assistance. The governance of the universities and interviewed and shared their precious time as colleges became one of the key issues where the part of gathering material for the this report. Their Department of Higher Education sought advice insights and willingness to share information were from the World Bank on setting up an enabling instrumental in drafting this report. A special thanks framework of organizational structures with a level goes to Shri Gagan Kumar Dhal, IAS Principal of governance and accountability which allows Secretary; Dr. Ajay Kumar Nayak, Joint Secretary, excellence in education to grow at universities and Dr. Mihir Kumar Das, Officer in Charge all and colleges. from the Department of Higher Education for their strong support in making this study happen. The Two World Bank consultants were engaged to draft discussions and updates with them were critical to the report on “Governance for Quality in Higher ascertaining assessment of sectoral management Education in Odisha”, namely Dr. Hena Mukherjee, and academic issues. The report was also peer former Lead Education Specialist at the World Bank reviewed by Vice Chancellors of Utkal University, and Dr. C.B. Sharma, Chairman of the National Berhmapur University and Fakir Mohan University Institute of Open Schooling in India. The World of Odisha. Bank team guiding the study comprised Kurt Larsen (Senior Education Specialist), Soumi Saha (Analyst) We thank DfID for providing resources through a and Nalin Jena (Senior Education Specialist). The Trust Fund and the Office of the Country Director, team would also like to thank Toby Linden (Lead World Bank Delhi office for facilitating the execution Education Specialist) for peer reviewing the report. of this report. Preface vii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION The rise of the global economy, where social and with special focus on the role of the Higher economic development are driven by knowledge Education Department of the GoO, university coupled with the information and technology management, college management and the revolution, signifies that tertiary education relationship between these structures. everywhere cannot continue with business as To analyze and re-examine the concept of usual. The hope is that by creating, applying and increased autonomy for HEIs in Odisha. disseminating new ideas and technologies to greater numbers, higher education systems will graduate a To make recommendations on how to skilled, flexible and productive work force. improve efficiency, effectiveness and accountability for increased autonomy in Throughout India, as elsewhere, tertiary education higher education governance. has expanded immensely bringing with it not only opportunities to greater numbers but also new The scope of the study includes primarily the challenges. This situation is reflected in the state governance and management system across the under study, Odisha. Long-standing systemic Higher Education (HE) sector in Odisha; the current challenges require adequate responses which Quality Assurance System (QAS) including affiliation include the need to: expand the higher education and accreditation and the inter-relationship between system in a sustainable way, eschewing ad hoc short- QAS and HE governance system; issues associated term solutions; take on board complex issues of with autonomy in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) quality and relevance; address inequalities of access in Odisha; the existing policy and legal environment and outcomes; and put into practice more flexible in view of systemic transformation of governance government structures and management practices. for excellence; and international experience of good Above all, the state has the responsibility to set up an practices of governance and management system enabling framework of organizational structures with focusing on quality assurance. a level of governance and accountability which allows excellence in education to grow. Such structures The framework for the study was provided by need to be responsive to changes in knowledge Odisha’s objectives to reform Higher Education creation and application, translating these to meet for the 21st Century. The State’s Mission statement changing labour market requirements. highlights the following goals in the State Higher Education Plan at a Glance for Odisha: V Objective of the Paper Provide greater opportunities of access to higher education to all eligible persons and in This paper aims: particular to vulnerable sections. To describe and analyze the state of Expand access by supporting existing governance in Odisha higher education institutions, establishing new institutions, Chapter One: Introduction 1 supporting State Governments, and Non- Utkal University, Bhubaneswar. Government Organizations/civil Society RD Autonomous Women’s College, affiliated to Supplement public efforts in removing to Utkal University. regional or other imbalances of the contemporary System. North Odisha University, Mayurbhanj. Initiate Policies and programmes for Badipada Women’s College, affiliated to strengthening research and innovations and North Odisha University. encourage institutions, public or private Ravenshaw University, Cuttack. to engage in stretching the frontiers of Rayagada Autonomous College, a private knowledge. institution. Skill development as corollary to reap the Centurion University of Technology and benefits of the demographic profile. Management, Khorda (Private State Promote quality of higher education with University). the improvement of the infrastructure and KIIT, Bhubaneswar (Deemed University). faculty, academic reforms, improvement of governance, and institutional restructuring. Financial Management Study V Methodology and Data A parallel study on Financial Management of Collection Universities and Colleges in Odisha was undertaken during the same period as this study on governance The preparatory stage of the study was devoted to and quality. It drew its data from questionnaires a desk review of the key documents which spell out administered in 20 universities and colleges the regulatory framework for institutional governance representative of the different categories of higher and autonomy for India and the State of Odisha, in education institutions in Odisha. The findings of the both public and private higher education institutions. recently completed study report provided a key data Three background reports focusing on governance, source for this study. quality and equity issues in Odisha higher education provided an updated context for the desk review. Stakeholder workshop Periodic discussions and