Background
National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 presents a watershed moment in the Indian Education Policy ecosystem. Redesigning the higher education ecosystem as envisaged by NEP 2020 requires strengthening the role of the faculty. NEP 2020 also envisions that pedagogy becomes learner-centered with mechanism for continuous comprehensive evaluation and assessment of learners.
Capacity building of faculty across all levels of higher education is one of the foremost thrust areas, with diverse schemes/programmes geared towards it. University Grants Commission’s Human Resource Development Centres (HRDCs) cater to the country's non-technical Higher Education Institutions (HEI) working in various HEIs. These HRDCs conduct continuous Professional Development Programmes (CPDP) mainly in faculty induction, pedagogy, domain knowledge, and leadership. The thrust areas for these CPDPs are dynamic and identified by UGC in tune with NEP 2020. The Central Sector Scheme “Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya National Mission on Teachers and Teaching (PMMMNMTT) was launched in 2014 by Honorable Prime Minister. The scheme aimed to comprehensively address all issues related to Teacher Training/ Capacity Building and the Professional Development of Faculty. Under the Scheme, existing HEIs in CUs, IITs, State Universities, NITTTR, IISERs, NITs, Deemed Universities, and Centrally Funded HEI have been provided funds for carrying out Capacity Building training of faculty members of HEIs, by utilizing and leveraging existing resources.
The Ministry of Education has sought that synergy and integration between HRDCs and PMMMNMTT Centres be strengthened in order to meet the objective of NEP 2020, keeping in view the optimal utilization of infrastructure, human and financial resources and the entire Capacity Building efforts should be renamed and popularized as Malaviya Mission.
110 institutions have been identified as a part of Malaviya Mission.
Vision
To build competencies in the faculty for better teaching, learning and research by exposing them to Indian values, updating knowledge and skills, and aligning with the needs ofsociety and NEP 2020.
Objectives
The salient objectives of the scheme as per alignment with NEP are:
- To impart pedagogy-related training and improve faculty members'soft and practical skills.
- To ensure holistic development of the teachers and learners with the inculcation of ethics and human values as enshrined in Indian culture.
- To develop multidisciplinary and critical thinking ability.
- To familiarize the faculty with the Indian Knowledge Systems.
- To build respect for the eco-balance and biodiversity existing in the nature.
- To undertake quality research in line with the local, national, and global needs.
- To make it known that higher education is for social upliftment and inclusiveness.
- To develop the know-how to prepare transformative pedagogy with ICT intervention.
- To build life skills and global citizenship values.
- To ensure the role of faculty as active participants in institution building.