Children’s University, set up by Modi, to be ‘revamped’ into research institute

In the academic year 2022-23, around 150 students were admitted under its seven departments — Education, Gujarati, Home Science, Social Work, Prenatal Care and Education, Psychology and Sanskrit as part of postgraduate degree and diploma programmes. Of the 150 students, nearly 50 per cent would complete their programmes this year and the remaining will graduate next year.

The highest number — around 30 each — was admitted under the postgraduate degree programme in Home Science and Social Work. Functioning since 2012 under four centres — the Centre of Research, Training, Extension and Education — the university could enrol an average of 100 students each year. In April 2022, 101 students were awarded degrees during the convocation.

The university offers Tapovan Garbh Sanskar Kendra and Shishu Paramarshan Kendra, both established under its Centre of Extension. While the Garbh Samskar Kendra aims “to get the best and desired child”, the Shishu Paramarshan Kendra imparts guidance for upbringing children in a good manner.

“This aim encompasses the activity related to Garbhadhna Samskar to the incarnation of best progeny and hatches the dream of preparing a holistic human being for the society… It can be claimed to be divine, for no other university in the contemporary world ever aims at covering the wide development cycle beginning from unborn child to 18 years of teenagers,” Harshad Shah, the first Vice-Chancellor who assumed charge in 2012, had stated in the concept note of the university.

The unprecedented move to convert it into a research institute comes at a time when the university authorities had planned its expansion and new courses.

According to the minutes of the General Council Meeting held in October 2022, a resolution was passed to design new courses as per the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and discontinue those programmes in which there was less strength.

For instance, in 2022-23 only three students were admitted to postgraduate degree programme in education. Further, the council had also passed a resolution to “convert Children’s University into the category of MERU — Multidisciplinary Education and Research University” under NEP 2020. However, experts say the move to convert it into a research institute is a decision towards “revival” and “going back to the original idea” of setting up the university.

After the approval of the cabinet, the University Bill was presented in the Legislative Assembly on July 28, 2009 by the then Education Minister Ramanlal Vora and passed. The Bill, after getting the Governor’s consent on July 31, 2009, attained its final recognition as Children’s University Act, 2009.