UGC announces development plans for Higher Education Institutions

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued guidelines for institutional development plans at higher education institutions (HEIs). The guidelines were released to help HEIs achieve academic, research, and teaching excellence. It will argue for multidisciplinary subject integration, as well as the incorporation of vocational education, training, and skilling. The HEIs will be prepared for the future by developing a 15-year vision and plan.

The commission has asked the UGC to develop a comprehensive Institutional Development Plan with the input of Board members, institutional leaders, teachers, students, and staff. 

"National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 recognises the importance of Institutional Development Plans and recommends that each institution make a strategic Institutional Development Plan with joint participation.  To enable the higher educational institutions to undertake the academic and professional excellence journey in pursuance of the goals set in line with the vision of NEP 2020, UGC has developed guidelines for HEls to develop their own Institutional Development Plans to aim the goals set out in the NEP 2020," read an official notification from UGC. 

The standards require HEIs to adhere to the following goals and development objectives:

1. Identify strategic goals and clarify the academic institution's mission, vision, and goals.
2. Identify resource allocation strategies, collaborations, thrust areas, initiatives, and sequencing.
3. Prioritise initiatives: Determine which initiatives are more important and distribute resources accordingly.
4. Create a clear plan of action that includes deadlines, milestones, and accountable parties for each endeavour. 
5. Implement the Plan- Carry out the plan and track progress, making adjustments as necessary.
6. Review, analyse, and report: Review and evaluate the plan on a regular basis, including measuring progress against objectives, utilising the S-Curve to analyse interlinkages, and making modifications as needed to guarantee long-term success.