In a first step towards establishment of a national network of universities and colleges across the country, the government has proposed to set up a National Educational Resource Portal, also creating a single window information of human resource in higher education. The portal will enable sharing the data of all educational institutions in the country enabling sharing of resources, research and collaboration in fields for teaching and examinations.
The benefits of establishing a portal include correct status of human resources availability in higher education and availability of experts in various fields for teaching. This would be helpful as a majority of universities and higher educational institutions are facing an acute shortage of faculty. To make the portal a success the government has proposed to make it mandatory for educational institutes to share the relevant data with it.
Through the establishment of this portal the educational institutes can also collaborate in examinations, research and industrial consultancy. Sharing of innovative ideas — for mutual benefits and posting of model teaching and research programmes and the syllabus followed in the various institutions will also be promoted.
Sources stated that the portal will also enable display of examination systems, academic, administrative and examinations reforms initiated, model guidelines for the choice-based credit system and display of needs and vacancies of all educational institutions both in staff positions and the vacancies in several programmes offered.
The proposal put forth by the University Grants Commission aims to rectify the insufficient networking and poor data base on the Indian higher education system and non-availability of one window information of available human resource. It is understood that the portal enable easy access to e-resources and help improve the quality of teaching and learning process.
The UGC has also targeted automation of administration.