NTA to only conduct entrance exams for higher edu institutions: Pradhan
The minister, however, clarified that the Common University Entrance Test (CUET)-UG will continue to be conducted once a year.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan visited Educational Consultants India Limited (EdCIL) stall at Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha samagam on July 30 and presented admission letters to the first batch of students from Sindhu Central University, Leh. On this occasion, he also commended EdCIL’s impactful work in the field of education.
EdCIL (India) Limited is a Mini Ratna Category-I CPSE of the Ministry of Education, Government of India.
In August 2021, a bill seeking to establish a Central University was passed in the Lok Sabha. Subsequently, the Central Universities Act, 2009 was further amended as ‘The Central Universities (Amendment) Act, 2021 and included establishment of ‘Sindhu Central University’ (SCU).
This is the first Central University named after the ‘Sindhu River’. The university will be fully supported by the Central Government, Ministry of Education.
Presently, there is only one University in UT of Ladakh viz. University of Ladakh which
cater to the students in Ladakh region through its constituent degree colleges and campus in both the districts of Kargil and Leh.
At present, there is no centrally funded university in the UT of Ladakh. With the establishment of Central University, the two universities would coexist symbiotically, complementing each other.
Further, “large number of students are estimated to be pursuing higher education outside Ladakh and having a Central University in Ladakh would provide them quality education, facilitate and promote avenues of higher education & research and hence, check their migration,” said Rajiv Khaneja, Manager, Advisory Services, EdCIL.
The Directors of IIT Kanpur and IIT Madras will mentor the establishment of the University’s academic and related activities. The first meeting of the Executive Council of Sindhu Central University chaired by Director, IIT Kanpur and Director, IIT Madras was held on May 23.
The University under the mentorship of above IITs will bring innovative academic programmes which are employable addressing to the high-altitude geographical demands and at the same time leading to further research at global level.
The University thus will have a curriculum embedded with Indian Knowledge Systems that will be unique for the region and relevant to the UT of Ladakh.
The University will offer Undergraduate, Integrated, Postgraduate and Doctoral level programmes designed to enable capacity building in the areas related to sustainable development whilst also ensuring student employment potential and opportunities.
The course curriculum will enable flexibility and mobility across the disciplines along the vision of NEP-2020.
“The Sindhu Central University is poised to bring reputation amongst the higher educational institutions of India catering to the student’s aspirations across the nation and the world. Having a Central University would come up with an additional pool of infrastructure and manpower that would catalyse developmental policy and planning in the region and develop a new progressive eco-system,” said PK S Shishodia, Chief General Manager, Advisory Services, EdCIL.
The Detailed Project Report for setting up of the University was prepared by the Advisory Team of EdCIL and now the organisation’s Infra team is looking after its execution. EdCIL is also looking after the admission process of the University’s first batch.
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