WORKSHOP ON CURRICULAR REFORMS INITIATIVE UNDER RUSA
(Dt. 12.07.2017) :- The Hon’ble Minister i/c Higher & Technical Education, Mizoram, Inaugurated a One-day Workshop on “Curricular Design Initiative under the aegis of Rashtriya Uchhatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA)” held at Aizawl Club, Conference Hall. The inaugural session was chaired by Mr. Benjamina, Commissioner & Secretary, Higher & Technical Education Department, Mizoram. The Minister i/c Higher & Technical Education –cum- Chairman, State Higher Education Council, Mr. R. Romawia inaugurated the workshop. In his inaugural address the Minister highlighted the educational history of Mizoram and mentioned that initially all colleges in the states are established at the initiative of groups of education minded people and the State government was in a position to take over those institutions under its ambit only at a later stage. As regards curricular reforms and development of higher education as a whole, the state should march ahead along with other states and UTs. He also expressed his sincere thanks to Govt. of India for its intervention through RUSA for reforms and development of States Higher Education system in country. Maintenance of Colleges, without RUSA has been a big challenge for a state like Mizoram who is facing financial constraint.
Dr. Kumar B. Venkatesh, Professor & Director, Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS), said that Mizoram has been one of the top performer of RUSA in pan India ranking. Mizoram happened to be one of the 10 select states for starting Curriculum Reforms Initiative under the aegis of RUSA by virtue of being a top performing state. Similar workshops and initiative have so far been conducted in 6 states and the workshop today in Mizoram being the 7th one.
The inaugural session was followed by a Technical Session chaired by Dr. Kumar B. Venkatesh, Professor & Director, Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS), Mumbai. The workshop took place under the supervison of 4- Resource Persons from the University of Pennsylvania, USA and 2- resource persons form TISS, Mumbai. In order to start the process of Curricular Reforms initiative under the aegis of MHRD, RUSA in the State, the workshop today was conducted initially for the Department/subject of Education in Higher Education Institutions. Teaching faculty from the Education Department of Mizoram University, faculty of Education Department from Govt. Colleges in Aizawl City, Faculty of the Institute of Advanced Study in Education (IASE) and ICFAI participated in the workshop. Officials of Higher & Technical Education Department and State Project Directorate (RUSA) also attended the workshop.
The participants were divided into groups and a fruitful discussion on the areas where reforms is needed in the existing curriculum or Syllabi of M.Ed, B.Ed and Under-Graduate and pedagogy took place in the workshop. A core group was formed to pursue the reforms initiative in a proper manner.
