MAINS DAILY QUESTIONS & MODEL ANSWERS
Q1. What are Institutions of Eminence (IOE)? Can the institutions become world-class universities if they are granted the Institute of Eminence status? Analyse critically.
GS I – Government Policies and Interventions
Introduction:
- In order to strengthen Indian higher education institutions and assist them in implementing top-notch teaching methods to improve accessible, reasonably priced high-quality education, the “Institute of Eminence” status was introduced. Many universities receive the Institution of Eminence designation from the HRD Ministry of India. The IoE programme was established by the University Grants Commission in 2017. Twenty institutions were awarded the funding; eleven of those chosen were granted the status of Institutions of Eminence in April 2021.
- Certain characteristics of the IoE universities can make them stand out from the competition. The eminence tag can only be applied for by higher education institutions that are currently ranked in the top 50 of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) or the top 500 of worldwide rankings.
- The private Institutions of Eminence may also be established as greenfield projects if the organisation providing sponsorship has a compelling 15-year vision plan. For a period of five years, the HRD Ministry is expected to provide Rs 1,000 crore to each of the public educational institutions designated as “eminent.”
Advantages of IoE-designated universities:
- Up to 30% of the total number of domestic students enrolled may be filled by meritoriously admitted international students.
- They will have complete freedom to impose fees on overseas students.
- They have the power to determine the cost of attendance for domestic students, provided that no approved student is denied admission due to a lack of funds.
- For individuals in need to be able to pursue higher education without financial hardship, the procedure should be combined with a respectable loan and scholarship programme.
- With the consent of its Governing Council and general adherence to the current minimum standards reported to the Commission or Professional Regulatory Councils, they would be granted the authority to offer degrees in more recent fields, such as interdisciplinary ones, as well as courses within a programme.
- They would be free to select their own course structure regarding the credits and years needed to finish a degree, provided that they were approved by their Governing Council and generally complied with the minimum requirements that are currently in place.
- Without a curriculum structure imposed by the UGC, the institutions will have the freedom to modify the curriculum and syllabus.
Problems:
- The government has yet to finalise Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with universities chosen for the Institution of Eminence (IOE), ranging from Navi Mumbai to Odisha and TN, despite lofty claims and approvals.
- Several IOEs have noted difficulties carrying out their IoE programmes due to insufficient and sporadic government support.
- The IoE selection method is said to be flawed because reputable universities like Jawaharlal Nehru University, which has been recognised internationally and produced a number of well-known public intellectuals, are not given consideration for the IoE award.
- The commercialization of education may be aided by the IoE designation given to for-profit private colleges.
- Scholars claim that the nation’s higher education is not up to par with worldwide standards, but bureaucrats and policymakers defend the system by arguing that rankings of this kind are inappropriate for the nation.
Will IOE Status by itself contribute to our universities being world-class?
- Two things determine the answer to the question: administrative independence and academic freedom.
- It is believed that academic and administrative freedom would be granted to universities that have been granted the IoE designation.
- Academic greatness depends on academic freedom.
- Freedom in administration is necessary for efficient operation.
- Higher education should be made more international if IoEs hope to compete seriously on a global scale.
- It suggests that “enhanced international cooperation and capacity building” should be prioritised by these organisations.
- Constant exposure to international standards is also vital for the institutions.
- Such institutions ought to prioritise research and innovation, and funding ought to be allocated in this way.
- They ought to set the standard in every area, including innovation, research, and teaching, and serve as an inspiration to other postsecondary educational institutions.
The next step:
- Without a question, we must raise the standard of our tertiary education and embrace the best approaches used by true “world-class” universities around the globe.
- Top public universities that receive government money have an obligation to treat the citizens of the country fairly by offering high-quality education on par with those of the best institutions in the world.
- As long as all parties are passionate about the vision and mission of their respective institutions and fully devoted to the cause, the IoE status can assist the chosen universities in realising their objective.
- Way Forward:
- International rankings indicate that India lacks world-class universities and that the pay of Indian academics is relatively low when compared to other countries. Additionally, there is a severe lack of student spots in prestigious universities and across the board in the higher education system. India currently lags considerably behind much of Latin America and other middle-income nations in terms of the number of young people in the university age group it educates, with barely half as many as China.
Q2. What is Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)? Describe the main elements of DPI in India. Examine their advancements over the last ten years and prospects for the upcoming years.
GS III – E-Governance related issues
Introduction:
- The digital public infrastructure is non-rivalrous and non-excludable. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the focus of DPGs. According to the UN, DPIs are “open-source software, open data, open AI models, open standards and open content that adhere to privacy and other applicable international and domestic laws, standards and best practices, and do no harm.”
- India’s digital public infrastructure (DPI), which is essentially the India Stack and more, is a modern marvel that was created through a special collaboration between the Union and State governments, regulators, the commercial sector, unselfish volunteers, entrepreneurs, academia, and think tanks.
Public digital infrastructure and India’s development:
- The idea of digital public goods, which improve the simplicity, openness, and speed of interactions between people, markets, and governments, is being pioneered in India.
- Modular applications, both large and small, are revolutionising the way we make payments (the UPI revolution), withdraw our PF, obtain our passports and driving licences, and check land records, to mention a few. These applications are built on the foundation of Aadhaar and India Stack.
- The public distribution system is available to the economically disadvantaged, children may acquire textbooks with QR codes in many state boards and languages, and government scheme recipients can receive money directly into their bank accounts.
- India has the chance to engage in digital diplomacy by introducing its made-in-India digital public goods to hundreds of developing nations worldwide.
- This could be a calculated and successful retaliation against China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). However, India’s startup, innovation, and technology ecosystems need to change.
Advantages and importance:
- A country may complement its physical infrastructure with an open source, high school online learning system for less money than it would cost to build two kilometres of excellent roads. This indicates a high cost-benefit ratio.
- Major benefit: Less capital is needed, and there is no risk of debt trapping when it comes to the delivery of digital public goods. Furthermore, the platform’s code is quite reusable.
- Instant Visible Outcomes: Digital public goods, in contrast to physical infrastructure like ports and highways, offer quick gestation times and instant, visible effects and advantages.
- Procedures become more efficient, and wait times for all services significantly decrease.
- Examples of this include the issuance of driving licences, PAN cards, and passports.
- Plugs the Leakage: It gets rid of rent collectors, ghost beneficiaries of government services, audit trails, clear individual-government-market interfaces, and expedients that help recover investments rapidly.
- Increased productivity and rapid service scaling are possible. Benefits can be quickly expanded to include a far greater number of people.
- While physical infrastructure deteriorates, the digital public goods infrastructure grows. There are two causes for compounding.
- One is the advancement of technology per se. Technology is constantly advancing, chips are getting faster, and engines are getting more potent.
- The network effect is the second justification. The number of “transactions” utilising a certain technology, such as Facebook posts or UPI transactions, rises rapidly as more and more people use it.
Barriers to achieving the complete potential of digital public goods:
- Privacy Issues: One of the main concerns with these digital projects is the potential for privacy abuses and the potential for data to be weaponized.
- Digital Divide: A number of fundamental elements, such as digital literacy, education, and access to reliable and quick telecommunications connections, are necessary for the successful delivery of digital services.
- In this context, implementing a large-scale digitalization of services without closing these digital gaps may make inequality already present worse.
- Security Concerns: Ensuring end-to-end data protection across the entire ecosystem is a cybersecurity challenge.
- Although the government uses secure methods and databases for transmission and storage, other participants in the ecosystem might not have the necessary knowledge or security to identify and stop breaches.
- One example would be the purported intrusion into the Aadhar database.
- Underserved rural locations: Communities in rural locations frequently need on-the-ground people to deploy and enhance digital tools because digital services are not provided equitably there.
Way Forward:
- From Peru to Polynesia, from Uruguay to Uganda, and from Kenya to Kazakhstan, all emerging economies stand to gain from and embrace India’s digital diplomacy. It can expand the market for digital public goods made in India and strengthen India’s standing as a major player in technology in the digital era. Additionally, it will generate great goodwill for India and allow partner countries to reap immediate, noticeable, and compounding benefits. Additionally, it will give India a strong worldwide footing to fight China’s extravagantly costly, brick-and-mortar-led Belt and Road Initiative.
