Performance tracking cell which has been successful in streamlining education scenario in colleges, will now be set up by the Department of Higher Education in districts.
Performance tracking cell, the brainchild of former higher education secretary Aparajita Sarangi, was inaugurated by Minister of Higher Education Badri Narayan Patra on July 23, 2012.
Under this, each college is required to send a monthly report based on 25 common minimum standard (CMS) parameters. These parameters include attendance of students and teachers, library facilities, campus updates, utilisation of grants from Government and University Grants Commission, extra-curricular activities among others, which are to be filled up by principals and submitted to Department.
While the district-level performance tracking cells will also carry out similar functions, they will help the Department in the e-admission process as well.
“The step is being taken to simplify the entire system. As on today, performance tracking cell is a centralised system which through district level coordinators collects information about colleges on a monthly basis and makes reports accordingly. Under this, colleges report to us directly. But after district cells are set up, the colleges will report to those and officials there would send us the monthly reports. They will also act as monitoring committees on performance of colleges,” said Mihir Das, the officer in-charge of performance tracking cell.
The officer further said the district cells will also help the department in e-admission process which is being carried out in a centralised manner now. “It will thus be easier for students to get their problems related to e-admission solved at the district level,” Das said.
The Department will meet to discuss modalities on functioning of these cells, number of persons required for the purpose, their training and responsibilities next week