In an exciting development for UGC student resource sharing, students studying in various universities and colleges affiliated with them will now be able to use the library and laboratory of a college or university other than their own.
Now students of different colleges can do research work or can also avail of the sports facilities in colleges other than those they are currently studying in. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has made an important plan to share the resources of different universities and colleges. This initiative keeps in view the interests of the students.
Giving information about this scheme, UGC Chairman M. Jagadesh Kumar said that universities, colleges, or other higher education institutions can provide such facilities to students with mutual consent. They will contribute to resource sharing among UGC students.
Under this initiative, educational institutions can allow students studying in other colleges or universities to use their laboratories, science rooms, computer labs, research, library, and e-libraries. This promotes effective sharing of student resources.
Apart from academic studies, higher education institutions will also be able to share sports facilities. Under this, students of other educational institutions will be allowed to use the playground, seminar hall, stadium, etc. This idea also extends to sports amenities.
Similarly, if a student of one college wants to use the research resources of another college, then they can do research in the other colleges outside their own college. The UGC has made a special guideline for planning this arrangement.
According to the UGC, on the basis of these special guidelines, the state universities will get an opportunity to make more use of the resources of the central universities and such higher educational institutions. The special thing about this initiative is that the cost of maintenance of these resources will be borne completely by the UGC. This enhances the process of resource sharing among students.
The UGC says if, on the basis of the new guidelines, various higher educational institutions of a single city use their resources jointly, then it will surely benefit the students as well. Additionally, it will aid these institutions by facilitating UGC student resource sharing.
According to the UGC Chairman, an educational institution in a city can use the resources of any other resource-rich educational institution present there as a guest. With the help of this scheme, students of guest institutions will also get an opportunity to study in the libraries of other universities or colleges. Furthermore, students will also be able to do research by going to the laboratories there. This further supports resource sharing for UGC students.
The central universities across the country are generally considered resource-rich compared to other state-level or small universities and colleges. There are more than 40 central universities across the country, including Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Banaras Hindu University. These institutions contribute richly to the UGC student resource sharing initiative.
Modern laboratories, libraries, e-libraries, and sports facilities are available in central universities across the country. In such a situation, the students of other colleges and universities will also be able to get the benefits of these leading universities. This establishes a precedent for sharing resources with students.
Apart from central universities, IITs and top engineering institutions can support students by providing access to their educational resources. Besides central universities, many higher education institutions also possess more resources compared to other educational institutions across the country. These institutions support the cause of UGC student resource sharing.
These include many state-level colleges and universities. These educational institutions can also prove to be very useful for students studying in educational institutions having fewer resources. This expands the scope of resource sharing among UGC students.
However, it is not necessarily the case that any university will be bound to make its resources available to other universities. This work will be possible on the basis of coordination and agreement between two colleges and/or universities, ensuring seamless sharing of resources for UGC students.
Due time has also been fixed for this as mentioned in the guidelines released by the UGC. The guidelines say that postgraduate and Ph.D. students can use the facilities of other educational institutions from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. under this scheme. This facilitates UGC student resource sharing at convenient hours.
(Source: Economics Times)
