Institution of Eminence Scheme

Why in news?

• Four private institutions remain stranded on a thorny path to get the coveted status of Institution of Eminence (IOE) despite getting the all-clear from the Government’s empowered committee.

About Institution of Eminence Scheme:

• It was introduced by the University Grants Commission (UGC) in 2017
• The status of ‘Institute of Eminence’ was launched to empower higher education institutions in India and help them implement world-class teaching systems to enhance affordable access to high-quality education.
• Twenty institutions (10 Public and 10 Private Institutions) received the grant, and eleven among the selected ones got the Institutions of Eminence status in April 2021.

Criteria:

• Global/National Ranking:
  • Only those institutions which have appeared in any of the global/national ranks (e.g., QS, NIRF) shall be recommended for the IoE status. The Institutions should be among:
    • Top 50 in the National institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) in their category.
    • Top 500 in internationally recognised rankings like the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, QS.
• Greenfield Proposals:
  • Only after exhausting the above criterion, if any slot remains vacant, shall consideration be given to yet to be established (Greenfield) proposals.
    • The term greenfield project generally refers to the initiation of a project without the need to consider any prior work.
    • The Greenfield Institutions would get a 3-year period to establish and operationalize the institution, and thereafter, EEC will consider giving IoE status to such institutions.

Benefits:

• Autonomy:
  • Institutes with IOE tag will be given greater autonomy and freedom to decide fees, course durations and governance structures.
• Grant:
  • The public institutions under the IOE tag will receive a government grant of Rs 1,000 crore, while the private institutions will not get any funding under the scheme.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

With reference to ‘Institution of Eminence Scheme’, consider the following statements:

1. Institutes with IOE tag will be given greater autonomy in functioning

2. Both public and private institutions receive funding under the scheme

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer