*हुंडा बळी- समाजाला लागलेली कीड व सरकारची विफलता*

 *Viksit Bharat Education Foundation Bill 2025*

Dr. Jitendra Atmaram Hole, Pune

(Copyright ©️)

*The Standards Council*

(In English, 'Manak' translates to 'Standard'.) This Council shall establish the standards for all academic subjects, students, teachers, and all other staff members. For instance, it will determine the duration of vocational education courses, syllabi, teacher qualifications, premises, structural design, construction standards, necessary amenities, essential requirements, fundamental educational needs, staffing norms, expenditure limits, fee structures, examination methodologies, result evaluation systems, and teaching-learning processes. Furthermore, it will define and ensure the quality standards for both teachers and students.

To facilitate skill-based education, specific methodologies—including robust assessment systems and practical training—are absolutely essential.

The current issue is that various universities—including autonomous universities and colleges—design their curricula based on their own individual capacities. However, this often leads to significant disparity and inconsistency. A single, standardized curriculum must be established that is universally accepted and applicable. No single individual or solitary institution can—or should—design a curriculum in isolation. The advice and active participation of a multitude of stakeholders must be considered mandatory before the curriculum for any subject is finalized. After all, the curriculum plays a pivotal role in shaping a student's future.

To ensure holistic development, a fixed and structured framework is required. Core subjects, multidisciplinary subjects, interdisciplinary subjects, open electives, professional electives, and core electives should be designed specifically to align with the needs and context of the respective region. For example, Pune is home to numerous automobile manufacturing companies; this implies that the entire regional economy and lifestyle ecosystem revolve around this industry. Therefore, this specific context must be given due consideration when designing the curriculum and structuring the academic framework.

A prerequisite for achieving outcome-based education is the effective assessment of students. The primary objective of education should be to mold students into excellent citizens who are cultured, courageous, intelligent, value-driven, physically fit, aesthetically refined, virtuous, and of strong moral character.

Concurrently, by providing high-quality vocational education, students should be inspired and encouraged to venture into startups, industrial sectors, and small-to-large scale entrepreneurial enterprises.

*How will student quality be determined?*

A student's academic stream and quality standards should be determined based on their individual aptitudes and interests.

The same principle should apply to the assessment and standards for teachers as well.  A teacher's eligibility should be determined by assessing not only their formal education but also their other personal attributes. The curriculum should encompass professional education alongside training in self-defense and self-reliance, as well as education regarding social, economic, political, military, agricultural, and vocational matters.

This covers the aspect of the curriculum.

Now, regarding the process of learning and teaching:

Modern methodologies should be employed alongside traditional ones.

Now, the most crucial aspect is:

The Assessment Methodology.

This methodology should be designed specifically according to the subject matter and the specific requirements.

*Quality Council*

1) How will student quality be determined?

Through a comprehensive evaluation encompassing written examination scores, practical examination scores, and project scores, alongside an assessment of the student's holistic development.

2) Alumni Assessment Parameters: Cultured demeanor, responsible citizenship, courage, and progress in economic, political, and social spheres.

Teacher Assessment: Basic educational qualifications, experience, high-quality and effective teacher training, understanding of student psychology, research contributions, project work, and social-educational performance.

3) College Assessment: Fulfillment of basic educational needs and provision of facilities; an eco-friendly environment; a clean and aesthetically pleasing campus; sound financial planning; staff and student development schemes; salary and fee structures; provident fund schemes; and the proper appointment of personnel to both statutory and non-statutory positions based on appropriate qualifications. Schemes for women's empowerment, as well as for the differently-abled, the infirm, and the elderly; medical facilities and health schemes; provision of economic, political, and social support facilities; financial budgeting; and various other schemes.

4) Outreach Activities.

5) Perception: The institution's standing in the eyes of industry professionals, parents, students, social leaders, and the local community.

6) National Significance: The nature and quality of contributions made toward the nation, society, and the common people.

7) Tasks related to Sustainable Development Goals.

8) Vision for a 'Developed India' (*Vikasit Bharat*): Activities undertaken toward this vision and their tangible impact.

9) Management and Administration.

10) Research and Consultancy Facilities.

11) Academic Excellence: The teaching-learning process, outcome-based education, the quality of the syllabus, examinations, question papers, assessments, and evaluations; as well as virtual and digital education initiatives.