Micro-irrigation systems, such as drip and sprinkler irrigation, play a crucial role in promoting water-use efficiency and enhancing agricultural productivity, particularly in water-scarce regions. These irrigation methods offer several advantages over traditional surface irrigation techniques.

1. Water-use Efficiency:
   • Micro-irrigation systems deliver water directly to the root zone of plants, reducing water losses through evaporation, runoff, and deep percolation.
   • Studies have shown that drip irrigation can achieve water-use efficiencies of up to 90%, compared to 60-70% for surface irrigation methods.
   • This efficiency is especially important in regions with limited water resources, as it allows for more effective utilization of available water supplies.
2. Increased Agricultural Productivity:
   • Micro-irrigation systems allow for precise control over the amount and timing of water application, leading to improved plant growth, yields, and quality.
   • The targeted delivery of water and nutrients through these systems can enhance crop performance and reduce the incidence of pests and diseases.
   • This can translate into higher crop yields and improved overall agricultural productivity, particularly in areas with challenging climatic conditions or water scarcity.
3. Reduced Resource Consumption:
   • Micro-irrigation systems often require less labor and energy compared to traditional irrigation methods, as they can be automated and require less maintenance.
   • The reduced water usage can also lead to lower energy consumption for pumping and distribution, contributing to overall resource efficiency.
4. Adaptability to Diverse Crop Types:
   • Micro-irrigation systems can be tailored to accommodate a wide range of crop types, from high-value horticultural crops to field crops, making them versatile for different agricultural settings.

The New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is an attempt at overhauling the education system in line with Goal 4 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which seeks to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”.
Policy recommendations for equity and inclusion in school education:

• Early childhood care and education: It seeks universal access for hitherto uncovered children of 3-6 years under school curriculum to be delivered through Anganwadis and pre-schools.
• Ensuring adequate infrastructure: The NEP seeks to create adequate infrastructure and provide secure conveyance and/or hostels, especially for the female students. .
• Equitable and inclusive education provisions for socio-economically disadvantaged groups (SEDGs): It seeks to set up the Gender Inclusion Fund for female and transgender students. Further, children with disabilities will be enabled to fully participate in the regular schooling process from the foundational stage to higher education.
• Eliminating the language barrier: It has been asserted that wherever possible, the medium of instruction until at least Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond, will be the home language/ mother tongue/ local language/ regional language.
• Special Education Zones (SEZs): The policy recommends that regions with large populations from educationally disadvantaged SEDGs be declared Special Education Zones (SEZs).

Policy recommendations for equity and inclusion in higher education:

• Institutional Restructuring and Consolidation: There shall, by 2030, be at least one large multidisciplinary higher education institution (HEI) in or near every district with the aim to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education including vocational education to 50% by 2035.
• Financial assistance: The NEP focuses on mitigating opportunity costs and fees for pursuing higher education, providing more financial assistance and scholarships to socio-economically disadvantaged students, conducting outreach on higher education opportunities and scholarships.
• Focus on SEDGS: The Policy seeks to earmark suitable government funds for the education of SEDGs and set clear targets for higher gross enrolment ratio (GER) for them. The goal is to enhance access by establishing more high quality HEls in aspirational districts and Special Education Zones containing larger numbers of SEDGs.
• Gender balance: The Policy also seeks to enhance gender balance in admissions to HEIs. Virtual labs: Existing e-learning platforms such as DIKSHA, SWAYAM and SWAYAM PRABHA will be leveraged for creating virtual labs, providing adequate access to SEDG students and teachers through online education and Open Distance Learning (ODL).

Implementation of the NEP in its spirit and intent, in a phased manner and prioritization of SEDGs will be important in ensuring that the objectives of equity and inclusion are realized.

An All India Survey of Higher Education (AISHE) report from 2019 revealed that the number of PhD degrees awarded has increased by 60 per cent in the last five years. Further, despite an increase in the number of students enrolling for PhDs between 2010 and 2017, the quality of the research ecosystem still remains poor.
Issues related to quality and quantity of PhDs in India

• Unethical practices: Many scholars pay substandard and predatory journals to publish their papers without sufficient review, which has weakened the quality of India’s PhDs.
• Inadequate funding: Due to insufficient scholarships and stipends, many students complete their doctoral degrees in hurry rather than taking the time needed for quality research.
• Lack of intent for research work: Many students join the Ph.D. programmes because they are not able to get a job, or they want to prepare for a competitive exam, or the teachers who need a Ph.D. for promotion. Thus very few PhDs are actually pursued with the intent of research work.
• Lack of adequate institutions: According to the All India Survey of Higher Education (AISHE) report from 2019, out of all the universities, colleges and standalone educational institutions in India only 2.7 per cent offer PhD programmes and 35.04 per cent of the colleges run postgraduate level programmes.
• Lack of attractive job opportunities: Private colleges and universities often offer meagre salaries and no research opportunities. Hence, quality PhD graduates have to move outside India for research work, which has led to a ‘brain drain’.

In this context, University Grants Commission (Minimum Standards and Procedures for Award of PhD Degree) Regulations, 2022 can help in the following manner:

• Publishing a research paper in a peer-reviewed journal is no longer mandatory for obtaining a PhD degree. This will help in curbing unethical practices such as pay-to-publish or plagiarism, which often lead to poor candidates getting PhD degrees.
• It abolished the MPhil as per recommendation of National Education Policy 2020 and revised eligibility criteria to allow student to pursue PhD after 4 year graduation. This move is intended to attract younger students for research.
• It has introduced a new requirement for PhD scholars to train in teaching/ education/ pedagogy/writing related to their chosen subject during their doctoral period.To ensure the quality of output, research scholars will have to appear before a Research Advisory Committee to present the progress of their work in every semester instead of once in six months.
• The UGC will also allow part-time PhDs for working professionals.

While the new guidelines from UGC have tried to address the issues related to the quality and quantity of research in India, there is still scope to address the concerns related to funding, adequate research facilities, collaboration with foreign universities etc.