The University Grants Commission (UGC) has been issuing regulations, guidelines and directives at break neck speed that some of the important ones miss drawing the attention of the higher education community. 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.
The trigger is the findings of a survey of human resource managers which highlight unethical practices in various organisations. The most prominent of these are “favouritism in hiring, training, pay and promotion; sexual harassment; gender discrimination in promotion; inconsistent view on discipline; lack of confidentiality; gender differentiation in compensation; non-performance factors overlooked in appraisals; arrangements with vendors for personal gain; and gender discrimination during recruitment and hiring”.
These vices may not be specific or exclusive to higher education institutions but could be rampant among them. None can assert that they are free of malpractices. The UGC must get credit for notifying the guideline, though it may not be sufficient to curb corruption and violations of ethics and integrity.
