Mumbai: To enhance student participation and create awareness around various reforms in the higher education system as outlined by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the University Grants Commission is announcing a new initiative titled "NEP SAARTHI- Student Ambassador for Academic Reforms in Transforming Higher Education in India."
Through NEP SAARTHI, the UGC aims to foster an environment where students can engage meaningfully and bring students together as active participants to make meaningful use of provisions of the NEP 2020.
To put the initiative in motion, the UGC has requested the Vice Chancellors, Directors, and Principals of HEIs to nominate three students from their institutions (enrolled in any course) to be considered as NEP SAARTHI.
“Students who are currently undergoing higher education at various levels can participate in this initiative, which includes ones pursuing certificate/ diploma/ undergraduate/ postgraduate degree. The nominated students are expected to have an outstanding personality, possess excellent communication skills, organisational capabilities for conducting outreach programmes, creativity, sense of responsibility along with being a team leader,” UGC Chairman Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar said in a statement.
Based on the nominations sent in by Directors, VCs, and principals, the UGC will select 300 NEP SAARTHI.
While the UGC aims to receive the nominations by next month June 2023, the announcement and orientation for the SAARTHIs will be conducted in July 2023.
The SAARTHI will have the opportunity to avail of many benefits. They will receive recognition by UGC as “NEP SAARTHI '' with a “Certificate of Recognition” being awarded to them. The names of the SAARTHI will be mentioned on UGC’s social media handles, and they will also get invitations for all relevant online events held by the nodal body. The candidates can also publish articles in UGC’s newsletter.
“The SAARTHI will also have a range of responsibilities, which includes working as an ambassador to promote NEP 2020, create awareness on the policy, promote the same on social media, and collect feedback from students on how to improve the reforms,” added Kumar.
Debates, discussions, quizzes, nukkads, chaupals, and more are also in the pipeline with SAARTHI also having to set up NEP help desks during college fests.
