Morung Express News
Dimapur | October 22
Intellectuals, academicians and co-coordinators of colleges and universities in the North-East today shared their thoughts and suggestions at the two-day seminar on “Best practices in higher education for quality management” held at Patkai Christian College (PCC), Seithekema.
Commissioner & secretary, Higher & Technical Education, Nagaland, FP Solo who was the chief guest of the inaugural session in his address said that the level of education in India, both in terms of access measured by gross enrolment ratio (GER) and quality is lower than many other countries.
Solo said that the national average GER of 12.4% in higher education is lower than the world average of 26% and 54.6% in developed countries. Coming to the North-East, he said that most of the northeastern states have lower GER than the national average.
He also said that out of the total 52 secular colleges in Nagaland (14 Govt. and 38 private colleges), only 13 colleges are covered under 2 (f) and 12 (b) of the UGC Act and that only two private colleges, one government college and Nagaland University have been accredited by the National Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC) so far.
“These figures speak volumes about the level of our achievement in higher education in the state…We have to go a long way if we are to catch up with the rest of the country and also of the world,” the commissioner & secretary said.
Complimenting the internal quality assurance cell (IQAC) of PCC for organizing the seminar, the chief guest said that the seminar would go a long way in improving the education scenario in the state.
Co-ordinator IQAS, PCC, Dr. RK Behara in his keynote address said that the successful application of the best practices approach depends on the ability to adopt a five-stage strategy, namely identification of best practices, implementation of best practices, institutionalization of best practices, internalization of best practices and, dissemination of best practices.
Behara also hoped that the seminar would give new dimension to best practices in curricular aspects; teaching, learning and evaluation; governance and leadership; research, consultancy and extension; student support and progression and, development of infrastructure and learning resources.
Earlier, PCC principal Husazu Epao in his welcome address said that in most areas of development and advancement, including management of higher education, the North-East region is lagging far behind.
“Unless we take giant leaps, the question that echoes across NE is how we shall catch up with the rest of the country. Education is fast transforming itself into more and more scientific, specific, precise, in response to human problems which are becoming more and more complex,” he said.
In the context of Nagaland colleges, Epao said that continual review and improvement of a current practice so as to sustain it in the status of best practice is a “demand” that has become real and urgent on account of the directive from the University that every affiliated college must adopt the semester system.
Resource persons presenting their papers in the two-day seminar include Kuholi Sema of Fazl Ali College, Mokokchung; Breez Mohan Hazarika of DCB Girls’ College, Debrugarh; Dr. Jyoti George Roy of PCC; Saju Mathew of St. Joseph College, Jakhama; VT Vasagan of ICFAI University Nagaland; Kirtichandra Rout of SM College, Dimapur; Dr. R Chumbeno Ngullie of Japfu Christian College, Kigwema; Dr. KH Gokulchandra Singh of Manipur University and Trailokya Deka of PCC.
