The National Policy on Education (NPE) 1986 in its Programme of Action made a focused reference to the crucial dependence of quality ensured delivery of education to continuous knowledge up-gradation, capacity building and motivation of teachers for accepting challenges arising from exponential growth of new knowledge and fast growing trends of breaking barriers of subject specific teaching and research.

Thus, the NPE recognized the urgent need for creating effective systems to provide opportunities for professional and career development of teachers, necessary for quality education and research so that they are well equipped and motivated to accept new challenges emerging from growth of new knowledge, international competitiveness and changing requirements of learners, especially in the institutions of higher education. Therefore, it was proposed to enhance their motivation skills and knowledge through systematic orientation in specific subjects, techniques and methodologies, and thereby inculcate in them the right kind of values that would in turn encourage them to take initiatives for innovative and creative work.

In order to achieve the above objectives, an initiative was taken by University Grants Commission in the year 1986 and over a period of time, 66 Academic Staff Colleges (ASCs) were established in different universities. During the last two decades or more, the system of ASCs has come to be accepted well and established in the university system with plan to plan financial support of the UGC and cooperation extended by the universities in providing basic infrastructure and other support, required for functioning of the ASCs.

In line with the foregoing objectives and for achieving quality assured system for capacity building, continuous knowledge enhancement, new strategies of governance for promotion of innovations and creativity, in these guidelines are being proposed to transform the existing ASCs into two level systems in the form of a Scheme of setting up Human Resource Development Centre (HRDC) and Regional Centres for Capacity Building (RCCB) in selected universities in the country to create new such systems commensurate with the expansion of higher education institutions by the University Grants Commission (UGC) with following broad plan of action.

(a)  To organize specially designed Orientation Programmes (OPs) in pedagogy, educational psychology and philosophy, and socio-economic and political concerns for all new entrants at the level of Assistant Professor.
(b)  To organize advanced level and more discipline oriented Refresher Courses (RCs), for capacity enhancement and continuous knowledge up-gradation and exposure to emerging developments of faculty involved in teaching in institutions of higher education.
(c)  To ensure that every teacher in higher education system of our country is exposed to an OP and a RC at least once during the first three to five years; of his/her career.
(d)  To organize specially designed OPs/RCs to enable the faculty involved in teaching and research in institutions of higher education to utilize fast growing Information and Communication Technology support to teaching and research.