Proposed model for raising the standard of Indian universities
The WHEEL (Hub, Rim and 5 Spokes Model)
5 Spokes: Rim- An accountable and effective
Spoke 1 – Faculty Accreditation & Regulating body
Spoke 2 – Infrastructure
Spoke 3 – Administration HUB – Knowledge creation and
Spoke 4 – Students core values of the university
Spoke 5 – Fund Raising
The 5 spokes (key factors) feed the HUB (with Knowledge)
while the RIM keeps the entire framework intact; creating a:
WHEEL – the self-sustaining global UNIVERSITY
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A quarterly review where hiring and promotion policy should be
purely meritocratic
Faculty of the top-tier universities sent to international universities
to learn the implementation of best-practices in higher education
Faculty from tier II and III must essentially undergo a training
program under the Indian top-tier university professors
Faculty Quality Enhancement Committee (FQEC), a body for
improving quality of faculty must be created to account improvement
in faculty standards due to the above programs by evaluating their
research standards
Give national recognition to research breakthroughs
KPIs for Spoke 1:
1. Increase in the number of applicants for the faculty posts
2. Increase in the number of applicants for award of PhD
3. Number of Indian research articles published in reputed intl. journals
4. Number of Indian Journals in the list of World’s top research
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Focus on providing ambience to the “global student”
Collaborations with IT service providers like Microsoft, TCS, Wipro to
enhance the IT infrastructure of the campuses
Attract A-class realty builders to revamp the physical infrastructure
of universities as done in the case of airports over the past 3 years
Increase % of the GDP to be allotted for laboratory and library
upgradation
Avail funding by alumni from the exodus of talent settled abroad
KPIs for Spoke 2:
1. Increase in the no. of admissions of students from USA, Europe, UK
2. Percentage penetrations of laptops among graduate students
3. Increase in the number of world-class Indian laboratories, libraries
and campuses J L Manasa Bandaru 05/11/2009 3
Showcase the core research competency of the university; not its
placement record
Revise HRM after understanding the reason for lethargy in execution
of tasks by the administration and transform it into a proactive one
Facilitate a robust policy decision making in the global context
Strict half-yearly review for checking:
◦ Misuse of grants and donations
◦ Delays in administration procedures (salaries, stipends, reports)
◦ Non-conformance to government policies
KPIs for Spoke 3:
1. Decrease in the no. of complaints against the delays by the administration
2. Meticulous allocation of resources and funds
3. Perform a flawless and transparent appraisal process for the faculty and
students
4. Timely policy changes in course with changing industry
J L Manasa Bandaru needs
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Industry exposure to be made compulsory part of course curriculum;
final year project should necessarily be an on-the-field industry
project
Local government institutions like the Municipal Corporations,
District Sessions Court, etc should provide opportunities to the
students for solving intricate technical or administrative problems
◦ For e.g. Municipal Corporation of a II tier town can invite the Mechanical
engineering students of the nearest university to provide a cost-effective
design of a machine for emptying public garbage bins by workers
Digital collaborations with international universities for creating
online discussion forums to facilitate global student interaction
KPIs for Spoke 4:
1. Positive feedbacks in student response surveys conducted by regulating
bodies to understand the aptitude a student has for a particular course
2. Percentage of the employable graduates produced by Indian universities
3. Number of industry and faculty assistance assignments
J L Manasa Bandaru taken up per student
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Investment in research should be increased to1.5% of the GDP as
research-incompetency is the crux of this problem
MNCs presently give consultancy projects to faculty on an individual
basis; but instead they can be convinced to sign a 3-5 year deal with
the university
During this period the university will take care of all the consultancy
requirements of the company by allotting the best-fit faculty for the
project.
Funds will be streamlined and accounted better
Every university’s treasury department must send a detailed monthly
audit report/balance sheet to regulators
KPIs for Spoke 5:
1. Percentage increase in the grants received by the university
2. No. of contracts with organizations who fund the research work
3. No. of scams of funds swindling J L Manasa Bandaru 05/11/2009 6
There must be a scrupulous and efficient
accreditation committee
Process of valuation must be flawless and effective
The parameters for judgment must be confirming to
the core principles of the institute
The 5 spokes and the rim channelize efforts and feed
the HUB
The HUB is thus the knowledge and value that is
created by the 360º approach of the WHEEL model
The knowledge created is thus in accord with the
core principles of the university
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The 5 spokes complement each others in meeting the
end result
The RIM takes care of the accountability of the model and
thus results in a university of International standards
Because of the 360 degree approach all the factors have
been considered throughout the model
KPIs for every factor help in checking the progress of the
system at every stage
Sustainability of the model is majorly because of the
robust integration of all the essential factors for making a
globally renowned university along with a feedback
mechanism
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Once every university transforms into a self sustaining
WHEEL, the Hub (rich knowledge accumulated) of a
university can be connected to other university Hubs
through AXLES – Inter University Knowledge Collaborations.
Many such WHEELS and AXLES will drive Indian Universities
to greatest heights.
Wheel Wheel
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4
Wheel Wheel
1 2
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A university stands for humanism, for
tolerance, for reason, for the adventure of
ideas and for the search for truth. It stands
for the onward march of the human race
toward higher objectives. Universities are
places of ideals and idealism. If the
universities discharge their duties
adequately, then, it is well with the nation
and the people.
- Jawaharlal Nehru
J L Manasa Bandaru
NITIE,
Mumbai
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