A seamless bridge between academia and industry seems to be the new mantra to foster innovation, employability and economic growth. The National Education policy (NEP)- 2020 also highlights the importance of fostering strong linkages between universities and industries.
In view of this, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has formulated guidelines, "Sustainable and Vibrant University-Industry Linkage System for Indian Universities".
These guidelines aim at developing a robust ecosystem for research, innovation, and knowledge transfer. The UGC in a letter has asked Higher Education Institutions to implement the guidelines.
Guidelines
Creation of R&D Clusters: Universities/ Institutes/ Colleges and Industries clusters may be created at the state level. Each cluster may be led by an institute of Central/ State Government in the region. Every educational University/Institute/College may create an Industry Relations Cell (IRC) for collaborations and every Industry, including the MSMEs, may create a University Relations Cell (URC) to enable the envisaged collaboration.
Constitution of the Cluster R&D Advisory Committee (RAC): The institute serving as the cluster head needs to establish a Regional R&D Advisory Committee (RAC) for advising the R&D growth in the cluster.
The Universities/Institutes/Colleges may appoint highly experienced industry professionals on appropriate governance bodies as per the requirement of regulatory bodies on the Board of Studies, Academic Councils, and other committees of the University/Institute/College.
The Universities/Institutes/Colleges may introduce internships/apprenticeships irrespective of the field, including Arts, Science and Engineering, as per the UGC Curriculum and Credit framework for programmes as notified and amended from time to time.
For more details, visit the official UGC website