“Women studies centers will have a special focus on most marginalized and disadvantaged women in the society,” said the UGC official.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued guidelines for setting up of Centre for Women Studies in universities and colleges and has sought proposals. According to a senior UGC official, “Women studies centers will have a special focus on most marginalized and disadvantaged women in the society. These include women from Schedule Caste and Tribes, women with disabilities, women living in unsafe environments, among others.”
“A women study center must pursue a comprehensive, critical and balanced understanding of India’s socio-economic realities and governance. Its main components include women’s contribution to society and social processes and their perception of their own lives, the broader social reality, and their struggles and aspirations,” the official said.
The focus areas of the centers will be to build new knowledge on women in national and global perspectives and developing curriculum in women studies to meet the diverse needs of Indian women with the focus to develop inclusive society.
It will also suggest methods to build a conducive environment for women to take up positions of leadership in diverse sectors, conduct evidence-based research on women and economic development, and suggest methods to promote inclusion of women in the development of all sectors.
“The centers will be monitored and evaluated periodically by the UGC. Every year, the head of the center will present a report on the working of the center to its advisory committee and then submit it to the UGC with minutes or comments of the members. The report will describe achievements and actions taken and will have both quantitative as well as qualitative information,” the official said.
Evaluation of the centers will be on teaching, research, extension activities, seminars, workshops, special lectures, field action projects and action research, documentation and archive on women, the partnership with other UGC centers and non-UGC centers, government schemes and NGOs.
“We have sought proposals for setting up of new centers while the existing centers will have to give concurrence in the prescribed format to comply with the new guidelines,” the official said.
(Source NDTV)
