Jaipur, Jan. 22 -- Jaipur Rajasthan governor Haribhau Bagade on Wednesday said there would be no compromise on the quality of higher education in the state, asserting that institutions lacking academic standards would be shut down. Addressing a meeting of the vice-chancellors' coordination committee at Lok Bhawan, the governor said a strict "improve or shut down" policy would be implemented. He warned that any college or educational institution granted university-level recognition without proper approval would face stringent action. Emphasising the need to strengthen universities, Bagade stressed boosting the morale of vice-chancellors and improving education from the school level to higher education. "Education is the foundation of development, and efforts must be made at every level to uplift it," he said. The governor directed all universities to take effective and time-bound measures to improve their NAAC rankings. He reviewed university-wise challenges related to NAAC accreditation and asked vice-chancellors to promptly complete processes linked to academic quality, curriculum reforms and innovation in teaching methods. He also assured that recruitment and financial approval processes pending at the state government level would be expedited and instructed officials to ensure swift decision-making on university-related files. Highlighting the New Education Policy, Bagade called for a focus on enhancing students' intellectual capabilities and strengthening education related to Indian history, culture and life values. He directed universities to display important but lesser-known aspects of Indian history and knowledge traditions on selected walls across campuses. He further instructed universities to hold regular student-teacher interactions-at least once a week or twice a month-on knowledge beyond textbooks, including arts and culture, stressing that dialogue is essential in education. Bagade also directed that convocation ceremonies be held annually at minimal cost and that Accountant General audits be conducted every year, with full cooperation from universities. He urged universities to adopt villages and prioritise development activities, particularly in poverty alleviation and strengthening educational systems. Technical universities were asked to start skill development training programmes in villages. Deputy chief minister and higher education minister Premchand Bairwa said proposals had been sought for faculty recruitment under the NAAC framework and assured that vacant posts would be filled soon through a roster system. He also expressed confidence that issues related to pensions, infrastructure and other facilities would be resolved through discussions at the chief minister's level. The meeting was attended by medical and health minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar, additional chief secretary Sandeep Verma, senior officials and vice-chancellors from across the state....