Mulya Pravah 2.0

Context: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has been issuing many regulations, guidelines and directives. One such guideline is Mulya Pravah 2.0, a modified version of Mulya Pravah, which was notified in 2019. It seeks to inculcate human values and professional ethics in higher education institutions. The stated intention is to build value-based institutions by orienting individuals and institutions towards developing a deep respect for fundamental duties and constitutional values and bonding with the country.

Problems Associated with Higher Education System:

• Unethical Practices: The prevalence of unethical practices in organizations, including favoritism in hiring, sexual harassment, gender discrimination, inconsistent disciplinary views, confidentiality breaches, compensation inequality, overlooking non-performance in appraisals, and corrupt vendor arrangements.
• Lack of Accountability: There is a need for higher education institutions to ensure that operations are free from corruption and malpractices, especially in admissions, examinations, and hiring processes.
• Bias in Decision-Making: Decisions in higher education often suffer from biases and may not always be made in the best institutional or public interest.
• Discriminatory Privileges: Certain officials may enjoy discriminatory privileges that need to be abolished.
• Culture of Silence: There is a silence on the role of teachers' associations and how they should operate within the education system.
• Transparency Issues: The article highlights a contradiction where confidentiality is emphasised, yet it may counter the right to information which is crucial for accountability.
• Stakeholder Engagement: There is concern about the active participation and influence of staff and student unions in protecting their rights and interests versus their relationship with the administration.

How Mulya Pravah 2.0 Will Solve Them:

• Inculcating Values and Ethics: Mulya Pravah 2.0 aims to build value-based institutions by promoting fundamental duties, constitutional values, and a deep respect for the country, aiming to curb unethical practices.
• Enforcing Accountability and Transparency: The guidelines call for utmost transparency in administration and decision-making processes and stress the importance of making decisions that are not vitiated by biases.
• Promoting Fair Practices: It seeks to abolish discriminatory privileges and emphasizes punishing corrupt practices to promote fairness.
• Encouraging Free Thought and Integrity: Higher education institutions are encouraged to allow individuals at all levels to think and give advice freely, ensuring integrity and trusteeship.
• Mandating Information Disclosure: The guideline suggests that institutions should voluntarily disclose critical information and subject themselves to public scrutiny to deter malpractices.
• Role Modeling by Teachers: Teachers are asked to act as role models in conduct, dress, speech, and behaviour, setting standards for students to emulate.
• Dignified Union Participation: Staff and student unions are expected to support administration in a dignified manner, raising issues constructively rather than being adversarial.

Mulya Pravah 2.0's success will depend on its sincere implementation and the commitment of all stakeholders to adhere to its principles in letter and spirit.