Institutions of Eminence Scheme (IOE)

In News

• Recently, A report was published by Indian express highlighting that autonomy promised under the IOE scheme has remained only on paper.

About

• The institutes of eminence scheme under the Union human resource ministry aims to project Indian institutes to global recognition.
• The selected institutes under the scheme enjoy complete academic and administrative autonomy.

Eligibility:

• Only higher education institutions currently placed in the top 500 of global rankings or top 50 of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) are eligible to apply for the eminence tag.
• The private Institutions of Eminence can also come up as greenfield ventures-provided the sponsoring organisation submits a convincing perspective plan for 15 years.
• The selection is made through challenge method mode by the Empowered Expert Committee constituted for the purpose.

Issues with the scheme:

• No Funding: Private campuses get no money under the IOE scheme.
• Multiplicity of regulators:The above quoted report finds that although IOE regulations promise autonomy from the University Grants Commission, there are over 15 bodies regulating higher education and this leads to  red tape, delays, and compliance demands .
• Mirage of Autonomy: The Report Finds that  UGC still  interferes in issues ranging from Naming of departments to fixing of fees. 
• Difficult Visa norms: the IOE institutes find the 2 year  visa given to foreign faculty very short and a bottle neck in attracting best of faculties from around the world.

Way Forward:

• Constitution of an umbrella body for higher education and relaxed visa norms for foreign faculty in these institutes will help in faster realisation of the IOE scheme’s objectives. 

Source: IE