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New Delhi:
More
than 27,000 new colleges or other higher learning institutions are
required to meet the targeted 30 per cent Gross Enrolment Ratio by
2020, a Parliamentary panel was told today.
The
figure includes 14,000 colleges of general higher education, 12,775
technical and professional institutions and 269 universities, Human
Resource Development Ministry reported.
The
Consultative Committee for the HRD Ministry chaired by HRD Minister
Kapil Sibal focused on Expansion of Higher Education.
Minister of State for HRD D Purandeswari attended.
The
Ministry submitted that in formulating its policy it is guided by
the 1986 National Policy on Education as amended in 1992.
It
cited steps to enhance public spending on higher education,
including ''incentivising'' State governments, and encourage private
investment without compromising on NPE framework and through
philanthropy.
Members were given an outline of proposed Higher Education
legislations.
Sibal urged Members' ''collaboration'' in education so that India
can become a world power by 2020.
Members raised questions about adequate regulatory framework for
private participation in education sector, foreign universities'
profit orientation and incentives to citizens to enter teaching.
They
also voiced concern over faculty inadequacies in State universities
and colleges and proliferation of technical institutions.
They
asked if the government contemplated a large-scale programme for
higher education along the lines of its elementary education
campaign, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.
One
Member stressed a meeting with academicians and debate before
creating an over-arching body for higher education.
Another Member suggested setting up Chairs for specialised studies
on Central Asian countries and other parts of the world to produce
adequate scholarship on these areas.
A
third Member wanted indigenous knowledge made part of university
curriculum and a fourth Member was against tampering with such
long-standing institutions as All India Council For Technical
Education and University Grants Commission.
Sibal assured Members that the mandate of the proposed overarching
body would be to enforce quality and good governance procedures in
higher education institutions. He stressed a regulatory framework
for higher education.
Sibal said the National Knowledge Commission which recommended the
overarching body for higher education as well as the Yashpal
Committee, which endorsed it, had done ''extensive rounds of
consultations with stakeholders and academicians.'' Sibal said
financial constraints won't allow an SSA type higher education
campaign.
He
said the Centre would build new Central Universities, degree
colleges in educationally backward districts and incentivise State
governments to expand higher education.
But
the State governments themselves also have to look for private
investment.
He
said when foreign universities come to India they would not be
allowed to make profits through tuition fees. Even in the West, he
said, universities depend on endowments for a larger percentage of
their finances.
He
said India needed to set up a world class institute in Humanities.
He
said salaries for teaching faculties have been raised substantially
to make the profession more lucrative.
The
Members of Parliament present included Chinta Mohan, Jagdanand
Singh, Ganeshrao N Dudhgaonkar, Dr M Thambi Durai, Prem Das Rai,
Madan Lal Sharma, Bijayanta Jai Panda, Mrs Rama Devi, Sucharu Ranjan
Haldar, Dr Ranjan Prasad Yadav, Mrs Vasanthi Stanley, Dr Kapila
Vatsyayan and Dr Prabhakar Kore.
School Education and Literacy Secretay Anshu Vaish, UGC Chairman
Sukhadeo Thorat and other senior HRD officials were present.
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