HRD Minister addresses colleges HIGHLIGHTS: New quality assessment system for online education soon

For final year students, the minister said the term-end exams will be conducted. "If the situation does not improve by July then for then, new dates or modes of conducting exams can be thought about but the exam will take place for final year students," he said. Read full statement here

UGC has a task-force to finalize on how and when the final year exams can be conducted. We are talking recommendations from the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on the same. The security and health of students are paramount to us, so we can opt to promote first-year students based on internal assessment, second-year students can be promoted based on the basis of inter assessment (50%) and previous academic record (50%). But, for final year students exams will take place, said the HRD Minister.

I call academicians warriors. Teachers and those in the education sector are also corona warriors. To ensure students are secure, motivate, and educate. To communicate with students every day and constantly is a huge task and they have done it well, says HRD Minister.

The Minister said that the HRD ministry is working to ensure that quality education reaches to remotes parts of the country. In this live the Ministry of HRD has recently made several announcements for the North East region. The government has granted permission for the establishment of a permanent campus of Sikkim University (a Central University) at Yangyang at a cost of Rs. 986.47 crore. The government of Sikkim has allotted 300 acres of land at cost of Rs. 15 crore, out of which 265.94 acres of land has already been handed over to the University. The handing over of remaining land is under process. 

Institutes across the nation are being converted into isolation/quarantine centers. We thank these institutions for coming forward to join us in the fight against coronavirus, the Ministry wrote in a tweet. So far, over 600 institutes have been converted into isolation centers, as per the ministry data.

Teachers should have a love for teaching and love for learners, said DP Singh, chairperson UGC. He added that this is the time when India will have to create minds and youth who are empathetic to all and thinks of the betterment of the world. 

Institutes should participate in accreditation and assessment systems. They might not get ranking in the first year but maybe the next year. We need to work hard and work in a mission mode. Those who work hard are the happiest. Colleges have the future of the nation in their hands, said the minister. 

The vice-chancellors, principals, teachers are touching lives of 33 crore students and if their parents are included, nearly 100 crore lives are touched by them on a daily basis. They are the students who will shape the new India and academicians are acting as the torchbearers for them and hence the new India, said the minister in his address to higher education institutes

Our teachers and students have researched and developed things that were not manufactured in India before even during this adverse time. This shows that there is no dearth of quality in our students. This can make us a trillion-dollar economy, said the HRD Minister

Takshshila and Nalanda were our proud. They were the top institutes not only in India but abroad. Now, we will aim to achieve that glory again. The new India and new education policy will focus on that. New ideas, science, and research to be the cores of it. We have incorporated views and suggestions from lakhs of people from all levels of education and economy, the minister said.

Online education should be of high quality and to ensure that NAAC will have to create a new assessment system for online education. We will come out with this soon, said Pokhriyal

We will put emphasis on online education through our top 100 institutes and it will ensure that this reaches out to all students. Students from across the world will learn through these courses. UGC is in this direction to ensure that every student in India is reached out through these courses, said Pokhriyal. It is important to push online education as it is the future. We do not know till when this situation will last, he added.

While the rest of the world was sitting at their homes, Indian students were working hard to fight the pandemic. Indian students are doing better research and proving themselves. We are proud of them and their hard work. Right from masks to testing kit for coronavirus, to portable ventilators - students have created it all, said the HRD Minister

The 7.5 lakh students who were going abroad for studies will search for their future in India. Our education institutes are not inferior. We are competing with top universities in the international ranking index including THE, QS, and others. Rather foreign students will come to India and Indian teachers will be in demand to teach in foreign nations, said the HRD Minister.

As the education system has moved online, we have made efforts to ensure to reach out to even the students in remotest of remote areas. We have made Swayam the biggest online portal in the world. For students who do not have access to the internet are given access to education through television sets. Soon, e-vidya will become one portal for one nation, said HRD minister.

UGC has created a task force to map out a new academic schedule. The calendar not only aims at education but also the safety of students. College exams will begin from July but during the exams, social distancing will be maintained. We will take suggestions from the Ministry of Home Affairs on the same, says Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank

The final exams will be held for sure. If students have grievances or doubts they can reach out to COVID-19 task force of UGC or of their respective departments as well as colleges, says HRD Minister

4,60 lakh students have given tests on the National Testing Abhiyas app within three days of launch while 4.70 lakh have downloaded the same. The App has been created by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for the practice of NEET and JEE mock tests. This was needed as exam test practice centers were closed due to the pandemic.

Students in the first semester to be promoted based on previous academic records while second-year students will be promoted based on 50% internal marks and 50% on the previous year or semester record. But final exams to take place. If the condition does not improve by July then the new dates will be released soon.

I am proud to say that the education department has continued its work even during this difficult time. Every minute was used to ensure that students are not only educated but also motived and encouraged throughout the process during this difficult time, said the HRD minister

NAAC has launched a digital platform and is assessing institutes online. We are reaching a huge number of institutes through digital platforms. NAAC is hosting the live interaction.

The live interaction has begun with NAAC welcoming the minister for the interaction. He is joined by senior officials for this live interaction.

The live interaction of the Minister of HRD has begun through his social media handles. The minister to address 45,000 colleges, principals, and administrators through this platform. Live being hosted on request from NAAC, said Pokhriyal

Through live interactions hosted on social media channels, the minister has been addressing people as well as media persons. In live interactions hosted earlier, the union minister had made major announcements including dates for pending board exams, one-time recognition to teacher training institutes not approved by NCTE, JEE Main and NEET exam dates, guidelines being framed on reopening of schools among others. Today too it is anticipated that Pokhriyal will make either an announcement or clear major confusion going on in the education sector.

According to the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) - the organisation which has requested for the interaction today - the topic of discussion will be "Turning the challenge to opportunities: COVID-19 pandemic and measures to combat higher education institutes of India"

Questions that have been seen most prominently on the minister's timeline and are likely to be featured in the live include extension for NAAC ranking for this year, a decision on college level exams for final year students, and reopening of colleges.

Interacting LIVE with 45,000 HEIs on 28th May at 3 PM via a webinar (organized by @NAAC_India). I will be talking about turning the challenges of #COVID19 pandemic into opportunities.
Feel free to share your suggestion/query with me on @DrRPNishank (my handle) or @HRDMinistry. pic.twitter.com/O67mEuDB8H

— Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (@DrRPNishank) May 25, 2020

Going LIVE on my Twitter (@DrRPNishank), and Facebook (cmnishank) pages at 3 PM today to interact with 45,000 HEIs and discuss how we can turn #COVID_19 challenges into opportunities.
It is going to be an interesting one!@NAAC_India pic.twitter.com/8vxkVdg9hW

— Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (@DrRPNishank) May 28, 2020

The minister is likely to talk about the disruption the education institutes are going through due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is likely that he will address the grievances of students who are fighting against online exams. Here is why students across India are opposing online exams.

To ask questions, students will have to write to either minister's social media platform or the official handles of HRD Ministry. Earlier, the minister had suggested using the hashtag #EducationMinisterGoesLive. This time the NAAC is hosting the live and hence, the hashtag usage is not specified this time.

The interaction will start from 3 pm onwards. It is likely to be at least 30 minutes long. The minister had earlier held live interactions with students, teachers are parents as well. He will also take questions from the stakeholders.

The HRD Minister will address higher education institutes, its principals, and administrators. He will go live through his digital platforms - Facebook and Twitter. His twitter handle is @DrRPNishank. Meanwhile, indianexpress.com will also give live updates on his address.