Accurate, timely and verified data basis of effective policy

making: Yogendra Upadhyay

Institutions should ensure accuracy and authenticity of data: Higher Education

Minister

Data collection should not be a formality, but should be considered responsibility

for policy and planning: Higher Education Minister

Accurate, timely and verified data basis of effective policy-planning of higher

education: Higher Education Minister Yogendra Upadhyay

Lucknow, 28 Sept (HS): State Higher Education Minister Yogendra Upadhyaya

stated that accurate, timely, and verified data related to higher education is

not merely a collection of statistics, but a crucial basis for effective policy

making, planning, and understanding the actual state of the higher education

system. Data alone can determine where new institutions are needed, where

teachers and resources are needed, and in which areas special efforts should be

made for development. This means that the proper formulation of future

programs, plans, and policies depends on data.

The Higher Education Minister was addressing university nodal officers at the

state-level AISHE (All India Survey on Higher Education) workshop held at Dr.

Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University, Lucknow, on Monday. The workshop was

organized by the Higher Education Department, Uttar Pradesh, in coordination

with the Ministry of Education, Government of India. Discussions focused on

data collection, verification, submission, analysis, and strengthening

institutional mechanisms.

Minister Upadhyay said that data reflects society and the higher education

system. The Government of India and the State Government make many important

decisions based on available data. Therefore, data collection should not be

considered a routine process but a responsibility for policy and plan

development. If the data is accurate, plans will be more effective.

He stressed on the need for universities to regularly update the AISHE data of

affiliated colleges and institutes. He said that many institutes do not provide

the data on time after receiving the AISHE code, due to which their status may

become inactive and this affects the students. The nodal officer should conduct

regular reviews. Avoid the tendency of waiting for the last date after the

portal opens, ensure verification by obtaining the data in time. Information

regarding enrollment, vacancies, courses, examinations, results, infrastructure

should be entered only after verifying it with the original records. Merely

filling the data is not enough, its accuracy and authenticity should also be

ensured.

The Higher Education Minister said that the role of nodal officers should not

be limited to mere collection. Cross-verification should be done before final

approval, random verification should be done as per requirement to check the

authenticity of records and AISHE data, and technical-administrative support

should also be provided to the institutions. The state's efforts should be

towards zero pendency. No eligible and functioning institution should be left

out of the survey due to administrative negligence. He said that in the digital

age, it is essential to have correct information available at the right time.

By identifying future needs from data, better planning can be done for new

institutions, faculties and departments. Data planning should not be considered

a formality but a responsibility of policy planning.

Speaking on the occasion, Additional Chief Secretary, Higher Education, Amit

Kumar Ghosh, stated that data management for AISHE is not just the

responsibility of the nodal officer, but of the entire institution. Data comes

from various departments, including admissions and examinations, so

institutional arrangements are essential for reliability. Based on the

workshop's suggestions, an SOP will be developed and submitted for approval. He

emphasized the need for consistency between university records and AISHE

records, reconciliation of affiliation lists, verification of authentic records

to avoid misreporting and double reporting, and in-depth review of unusual

changes. Uploading data is a process, but analyzing and gap analysis is more

important.

In the workshop, Director Higher Education Prof. Monika Singh presented her

views on systematic collection and quality of data. RMLNLU Vice Chancellor

Prof. Dr. Amar Pal Singh, Director AISHE Additional Director General Sangeeta

Narmadeshwar, Registrar Keshav Kumar, State Nodal Officer AISHE Prof. Dinesh

Chandra Sharma, Additional Secretary of Higher Education Council Dr. Dinesh K.

Rajput along with other officials and nodal officers of the universities of the

state were present in the workshop. Information related to DCF and AISHE portal

was given in the technical sessions and university-specific problems were

discussed.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi