- All universities should work towards making the higher education system more robust, transparent and student-centric: Minister Shri Parmar
- Meeting of Vice Chancellors in continuation of the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court and the 5th conference of the Chief Secretary
Following the Honorable Supreme Court’s directive and the Chief Secretary’s 5th conference, a meeting of the Vice Chancellors of all the state’s public universities was held on Wednesday in the auditorium of Palash Residency in Bhopal, chaired by Higher Education, Technical Education, and AYUSH Minister Mr. Inder Singh Parmar. In the meeting, Minister Mr. Parmar discussed various points in detail and provided necessary instructions.
The following important decisions were taken in the meeting with the aim of making the higher education system quality oriented, transparent and time bound. In compliance with the order passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court on 15 January 2026 in Criminal Appeal No. 1425, it was decided that as soon as information about suicide or unnatural death of any student is received, it will be mandatory for the concerned educational institution to immediately inform the police, whether the incident occurred inside the institute campus or outside. Apart from this, it will also be necessary to submit annual reports of such incidents to the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the concerned regulatory bodies.
During the meeting, Minister Parmar stated that 24×7 emergency medical facilities should be provided in residential educational institutions or such facilities should be ensured within a radius of one kilometer. He also directed that long-standing vacant teaching and non-teaching positions be filled within four months, with priority given to reserved categories. Parmar also stated that all pending scholarships for students should be resolved in a timely manner, and that no student should be deprived of examinations, classes, hostels, or degrees/marksheets due to delays in scholarships. Parmar directed educational institutions to effectively implement all mandatory UGC regulations, especially the anti-ragging system, the Equal Opportunity Cell, the Internal Complaints Committee, and the student grievance redressal mechanism. Minister Parmar also stated that emphasis should be placed on ensuring the availability of mental health support services for students.
Major decisions of the meeting (Regarding the directions given at the Fifth National Conference of Chief Secretaries, New Delhi)
The meeting decided to implement the Global Talent Repatriation Scheme, appoint Professors of Practice in all state public universities, recruit faculty in a mission mode in universities with high vacancies, update curriculum, launch skill and apprenticeship-based degree programs, and adopt integrated digital platforms. The meeting also discussed achieving the goals of establishing foreign higher education institutions in India/issuing letters of intent, faculty training in emerging technologies, increasing enrollment, student participation in skill courses, strengthening innovation and incubation centers, and increasing the number of international students.
- Other important instructions
Minister Shri Parmar directed all universities to make digital evaluation mandatory in their examination systems in a phased manner. Shri Parmar also directed universities to effectively implement the SAMARTH digital platform for their academic and administrative activities. He also directed universities to ensure full utilization of the funds allocated to them under the PM-USHA scheme for various purposes within the stipulated timeframe.
Minister Shri Parmar asked universities to prioritize improving academic quality, innovation, research, and employment-oriented education. He also placed special emphasis on student-teacher ratio, examination reform, timely declaration of results, and digital transparency. Minister Shri Parmar clarified that compliance with judicial directives and national policy goals is a top priority in higher education. At the end of the meeting, Minister Shri Parmar expressed his expectation from all universities that they should ensure strict compliance with the decisions taken, so that the higher education system in the state can become more robust, transparent, and student-centric.
On this occasion, Additional Chief Secretary Higher Education Mr. Anupam Rajan, Principal Secretary to the Governor Mr. Navneet Mohan Kothari, Commissioner Higher Education Mr. Prabal Sipahi, Special Duty Officer Dr. Anil Kumar Pathak along with Vice Chancellors of all the universities of the state and senior officers of the Higher Education Department were present.