Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur is hosting the West Zone Vice Chancellors’ Conference on July 29-30, 2011.

More than sixty Vice Chancellors from different universities of the region will be attending the two days conference to discuss on critical issues pertaining to excellence,equality and access of higher education.

The Conference is being organized under the auspices of the Association of Indian Universities, New Delhi.

The theme of the Conference is “Higher Education in India: A Perennial Quest for Excellence”.

The Conference will focus on access to higher education in the tribal belt of Western India. A number of universities in the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh are located in areas which have a sizeable population of Scheduled Tribes.

These areas suffer from poor enrollment ratio and inadequate state support. There is a disinclination on the part of well qualified teachers to seek jobs in these institutions. Merciless growth of private colleges may have led to an increase in the intake of students but as always at the cost of excellence.

The Conference will provide ample opportunity to the educational satraps to reflect upon these challenges.

Mohanlal Sukhadia University is celebrating its Golden Jubilee this year. The Vice Chancellors’ Conference is being organized as a part of the year long activities which the University is organizing.

The Inaugural Session of the Conference will be held at the Conference Hall of the City Palace overlooking world famous Lake Pichola.

The session will be joined by Dr CP Joshi-Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Sh. Janardhan Dwivedi-General Secretary of AICC, Sh. Lakshya Raj Singh Mewar of the Maharana Mewar Charitable Foundation and Prof I.V Trivedi– Vice Chancellor Mohanlal Sukhadia University.

Later during the day, Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission will deliver a special lecture on ‘Approach to Higher Education in the XII Five Year Plan’.

In the four technical sessions of the Conference, there will be expert lectures by academicians and administrators. The far reaching reforms proposed by the University Grants Commission in 2009 and its phased implementation by universities will also feature during the discussions. The recommendations of the meet will provide an input to planners and policy makers.