About 15 officials of the rank of joint secretary and above are going to Mussoorie on a three-day official retreat that starts on 21st April and ends on 24th April. The committee shall discuss higher education and come up with an action plan that the next government can follow.
Sources reveal that after the members are back from the retreat, they will release a plan on the development of higher education.
One of the plans to be discussed at the conference is ‘EQUIP’ — Educational Quality Improvement Programme. Under the programme, the government wants established educational institutions that are doing well to guide new and non-performing institutions.
“For instance, the Hyderabad University currently mentors the University of Tribal Affairs of Andhra Pradesh. Similarly, under this plan, more such institutions will follow,” added an official.
Sources in the ministry said officials are also allowed to include their family for the retreat.
While retreats like these are not the first time to be happening, they are rare and mostly happen during the lean period of government functioning.
The last instance of an event like this was in 2017 by the HRD Ministry.
