Tag: Secularism

Scientific temper, secularism key parameters of Kerala’s new higher education ranking system

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Thiruvananthapuram: Taking a cue from the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), the CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala is adopting a state-level methodology to assess and rank higher education institutions, for which a key parameter used would be ‘Scientific Temper and Secular Outlook (STSO)’.
Higher Education Minister R Bindu will inaugurate the Kerala Institutional Ranking Framework (KIRF) to assess the level of higher education institutions in the state, on Wednesday.
An official said the Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) would be the implementing agency and the ranking exercise would be carried out annually.

One of the reasons for setting up such a mechanism was to improve the quality of higher education in the state and check the flow of students going outside the state to pursue their studies, he said.
The KSHEC would invite institutions interested in participating in the ranking exercise to register on the KIRF portal on the KSHEC website, the official said.
Institutions under various categories such as universities and colleges as well as engineering, management, teacher education, pharmacological, medical, dental, law, architecture and nursing institutes can participate in the ranking process.
“If they desire to be included in the discipline-specific ranking list, they can register separately and provide data in a specific format,” KSHEC member secretary Dr Rajan Varughese said.
The data will be uploaded to an online facility created for this purpose. KSHEC with the help of suitably identified partner agencies will undertake the authentication of data, wherever necessary and where feasible.

KSHEC will extract the relevant information from this data and, through software, compute the various metrics. Based on this data, the institutions would be ranked.
The quality benchmark of higher education institutions being set by the public agency would help students and parents to select the right institution in the state for higher studies, Varughese told PTI.
Besides “Scientific Temper and Secular Outlook (STSO)”, the performance parameters are organised into four other broad heads including Teaching, Learning & Resources (TLR), Knowledge Dissemination and Research Excellence (KDRE), Graduation Outcome (GO), and Outreach and Inclusivity (OI), officials said.
Under the ‘Scientific Temper and Secular Outlook (STSO)’ head, KIRF will assess the qualitative aspects of the higher education institutions applying for the ranking. Such institutions will have to submit a description in 500 words on the extension activities carried out to impart scientific temper and a secular outlook, and to sensitise students to social issues for their holistic development.
Under the STSO head, the institutions must also submit a description of strategies adopted by it to conserve water and energy, reduce waste and practise effective waste disposal, among other eco-friendly measures.
STSO was included as a criteria for ranking to highlight the importance of scientific temper and secularism in imparting education, a source said. Such a step was taken at a time when discussions are happening at the national level to wind up organisations such as Vigyan Prasar (an autonomous organisation set up by the union government in 1989 for popularising science and promoting scientific temper), the source added.
Officials said the Kerala Institutional Ranking Framework was modelled along the lines of the National Institutional Ranking Framework, a methodology adopted by the union government’s Ministry of Education to rank institutions of higher education in the country.
They said that on the basis of many of the overall quantitative indicators, the higher education scene in Kerala was found to be favourably comparable with the national scene, and in some respects the situation in the state was better than some of the rapidly expanding higher education systems in southern states.
Hailing the Kerala government’s initiative, a higher education expert said the launch of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) for higher educational institutions in the country by the Ministry of Education (then MHRD) in 2015 had been a watershed moment in the Indian higher education system.
“Although college and university rankings have been popular in many countries, the introduction of India-specific criteria for a sector that had been witnessing massive growth of institutions and student enrolments during the past decade raised many eyebrows. The NIRF is based on five overall parameters: Teaching, Learning and Resources; Research and Professional Practice; Graduation Outcomes; Outreach and Inclusivity; and Peer Perception.
“Interestingly, by taking a cue from the NIRF, Kerala is going to launch the Kerala Institutional Ranking Framework on May 3. This is the first State-specific ranking initiative for higher education institutions,” the expert told PTI.
Varughese said the state-level institutional ranking framework was formed without altering the core qualities and components of the NIRF. But it also incorporates the socio-cultural heritage and values that the state has sculpted over the period of its democratic era, he said.
He said that the KIRF had been evolved after intense deliberations and collective discussions among scholars of expertise and stakeholders of higher education inside and outside the state of Kerala.
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#Scientific #temper #secularism #key #parameters #Keralas #higher #education #ranking #system
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 2, 2023
Cong says committed to secularism, promises ‘Rohith Vemula Act’ if voted to power

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Nava Raipur: The Congress on Sunday promised to bring in a special legislation called the “Rohith Vemula Act” to redress the discrimination faced by students from SC, ST, OBC and minority communities in educational institutions, and asserted that it shall commit to secularism in letter and spirit and will be at the forefront to protect the rights of minorities.
In its social justice and empowerment resolution passed at its 85th plenary session, the Congress committed to conduct a socio-economic caste census along with the decennial census.
The party said it has advocated reservations for economically weaker sections (EWS) of the society but the BJP’s policy on EWS quota has excluded even the poor SCs, STs and OBCs from availing benefits under EWS quota.
The Congress said it considers poor belonging to all communities to be economically weaker and therefore poor SCs, STs and OBCs cannot be excluded from the EWS quota.
“Congress party would ensure that economically weaker section category students are given age relaxation on par with the age relaxation given to SCs and STs for entering into government services,” the resolution said.
Reiterating its demand for a caste census, the Congress alleged in its resolution that the BJP has consistently refused to conduct the caste census which would be crucial to revising the benchmark for socio-economic and educational backwardness.
“Indian National Congress commits to conduct a socio-economic caste census along with the decennial census. The caste census shall also enumerate de-notified tribes and nomadic tribes,” the resolution said.
The Congress also committed to creating a dedicated ministry for the empowerment of the OBCs, saying it will focus on expanding educational and employment opportunities of OBCs and provision of civic amenities in their habitations.

The slew of promises and reservations in internal party organisation for the SCs, STs, OBCs and minorities is seen by many political observers as the Congress’ attempt to re-establish and strengthen its support base among the marginalised sections of the society which has eroded in the last few years.
Noting that the National Commission for Minorities plays an important role in protecting the rights and livelihoods of Minorities, the Congress said it is committed to according constitutional status to panel to endow it with powers to serve the community better.
The Congress also committed to implementing special welfare scheme for minority welfare based on the recommendations of the Sachar committee.
The Multi-Sectoral Development Programme (MSDP) and the 15-point programme for minorities as enunciated by Indira Gandhi, reformulated by Rajiv Gandhi and effectively implemented by Manmohan Singh shall be implemented in full, the party resolution said.
The party also said it is committed to giving constitutional status to the National Commission for Women to enhance its effectiveness.
“Congress party shall commit to secularism in letter and spirit and would be in the forefront to protect the rights of minorities,” the resolution said.
Hitting out at the BJP, the Congress said the promise of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” by the BJP has proved beyond doubt that it is nothing but a massive act of deception.
“Mob lynching particularly against minorities, atrocities against SCs and STs and violence against women have touched record highs in the last nine years. The sense of insecurity and agony among these communities/groups is extremely high because they are being continuously targeted with hate and gruesome violence by the BJP-RSS and their affiliates,” the party alleged in its resolution.
The Congress party committed to further strengthening the legal mechanism for ensuring protection of rights of these communities.
The Congress said it shall be vigilant and strive relentlessly for delivering justice to the victims of atrocities by ensuring the effective implementation of the SC and ST (Preventions of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
“To redress the discrimination faced by the students from SC, ST, OBC and minority communities in educational institutions, the Congress party commits to enact a special Act called the Rohith Vemula Act to protect and safeguard their right to education and dignity,” the resolution said.
Vemula, a research scholar of the University of Hyderabad, allegedly hanged himself in a hostel room in 2016.
The death of the 26-year-old Dalit student on January 17, 2016 triggered a nationwide agitation against casteism in institutions of higher learning.
The Congress also promised to set up a National Council for Social Justice on the lines of National Development Council, which it said would not only review the progress and gaps in implementing India’s social justice policies and legislations but also tangibly safeguard, strengthen and defend the rights and entitlements meant for SCs, STs, OBC, and minorities throughout India.
The council will also undertake surveys across the country to study inequalities and comprehensively map the socio-economic and political status of these sections in India and publish a “state of social justice report”, along the lines of the National Economic Survey, a day before the Budget is presented every year, the resolution said.
To ensure that the judiciary is reflective of the social diversity of India, the Congress said it shall consider reservations for SCs-STs-OBCs in the higher judiciary.
The Congress also promised a national legislation to make ensure that a portion of the Union budget is earmarked in proportion to the population of SCs and STs in the country, to foster their sustainable development and to bring them on par with rest of the society.
The Congress also asserted that it committed to completely eradicate manual scavenging.
Noting that India has witnessed ordeals experienced by millions of migrant workers during the period of COVID-19 pandemic, the party alleged that their utter neglect by the BJP Government forced them to walk, long distances which is still fresh in our minds.
Congress believes it is time to pass a legislation to guarantee the right to work in urban areas that provides work on demand to urban poor, particularly inter and intra state migrants, unorganized casual workers and the homeless, the resolution said.
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#Cong #committed #secularism #promises #Rohith #Vemula #Act #voted #power
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 26, 2023
Secularism is the glue to keep country together: CPI(M) member Subhashini Ali

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Kolkata: Secularism is absolutely essential to keep people together and the country moving, said CPI(M) member Subhashini Ali, setting the tone for the session Born in 1947′ at a literary meet in Kolkata.
Ali, daughter of INA commander Lakshmi Swaminathan, was joined by culinary historian Chitrita Banerjee and craft activist Laila Tyabji all born in the year India won its freedom as the three of them discussed the adversities and the challenges that have shaped the country and its people over the course of time.
The septuagenarians, while addressing a session at the Tata Steel Kolkata Literary Meet on Wednesday, also stressed the need for people to collaborate and cohabitate, despite the religious and caste-based differences, for the country to prosper and flourish.
“India has conflicting forces living in its society but the country can rise above that,” said Banerjee.
Recounting days of unrest during the Bangladesh Liberation War, she said that it was heartening to see people reaching out to those in need, keeping all judgments and opinions aside.
“The fact that young people are becoming bigoted individuals, holding on to their beliefs very ardently, and that, in turn, leading to conflict and hatred is very depressing, especially for people like us who grew up in a hopeful and idealistic atmosphere. But I believe all of these will be undone, and things will get better at some point,” she stated.
Ali stressed on the need to build a country where there are no inequalities.
“It is imperative to keep talking, keep conversations going, not in an echo chamber, but with people who don’t agree with us to understand their perspectives, too.

“Many of us are concerned about the situation in the country. But the point is what is it that we are doing to make things better?” she said.
People who are privileged in many ways need to reach out to others to tell them that how important the idea of secularism was to the great leaders of the country, Ali, a former MP, maintained.
“Secularism is not something these leaders adopted to get votes like we are told now. It is absolutely essential to keep India together and the country moving,” she insisted.
Adding to the narrative, Tyabji, too, said that there was no one way of looking at India, and people need to hear different points of view to be able to make up their minds.
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#Secularism #glue #country #CPIM #member #Subhashini #Ali
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 26, 2023