In N-war, allies mean more than education
The government is treading with care on the proposed National Commission for Higher Education so as not to upset any of its allies.
By TNN |
NEW DELHI: Unwilling to rub its allies the wrong way at this juncture, the government is considering setting aside its proposal to set up the National Commission for Higher Education.
The idea of the proposed commission was mooted to ensure uniformity in higher education policy across all sectors — medical, agriculture, management and engineering. The Prime Minister’s Office, which is keen on setting up an overarching regulatory body, is likely to put the issue on the backburner in light of the current volatile political scenario.
The ministry of human resource development had circulated a Cabinet note proposing the National Commission for Higher Education, which would oversee the work of existing regulatory bodies of higher education — there are 13 such bodies at present. This would mean that institutions like the Medical Council of India, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the Dental Council and the All India Council for Technical Education would function under the supervision of the proposed commission.
The proposal has not met with approval from ministries like health and agriculture. Both these ministries are headed by UPA allies — agriculture by the Nationalist Congress Party and health by the PMK. Given the government’s current impasse with the Left over the nuclear deal, it is unlikely to pursue a course of action that will drive a further wedge between the Congress and its allies.
Sources said that in view of the unfavourable response, the government is unlikely to pursue the proposal to set up a new commission in its present form. As per the proposal, the University Grants Commission (UGC) would merge with the new entity. The move has also not elicited a positive response from the UGC, though sources indicated that UGC’s position is more of a misunderstanding of the proposed commission’s function rather than a concerted opposition to it.
In the present set-up, individual regulatory agencies work independently of the UGC and some of these are not even administered by the HRD ministry, which is the nodal administrative hub for education. Experts say that often in the current arrangement, the regulatory bodies work at cross-purposes, as a result of which higher education policy is losing focus. An apex regulatory body would ensure uniformity in education policy.
The idea of the National Commission for Higher Education has had the support of the parliamentary standing committee on human resource development as well. In its report, the standing committee said “the setting up of the National Commission for Higher Education should not be delayed any further”. It has further said that the “existence of various regulatory bodies not only makes the system complex, but also gives its a fragmented character”. The standing committee recommended setting up of “some kind of co-ordinating mechanism at the national level in the best interest of efficiency and effectiveness”.
The idea of the proposed commission was mooted to ensure uniformity in higher education policy across all sectors — medical, agriculture, management and engineering. The Prime Minister’s Office, which is keen on setting up an overarching regulatory body, is likely to put the issue on the backburner in light of the current volatile political scenario.
The ministry of human resource development had circulated a Cabinet note proposing the National Commission for Higher Education, which would oversee the work of existing regulatory bodies of higher education — there are 13 such bodies at present. This would mean that institutions like the Medical Council of India, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the Dental Council and the All India Council for Technical Education would function under the supervision of the proposed commission.
The proposal has not met with approval from ministries like health and agriculture. Both these ministries are headed by UPA allies — agriculture by the Nationalist Congress Party and health by the PMK. Given the government’s current impasse with the Left over the nuclear deal, it is unlikely to pursue a course of action that will drive a further wedge between the Congress and its allies.
Sources said that in view of the unfavourable response, the government is unlikely to pursue the proposal to set up a new commission in its present form. As per the proposal, the University Grants Commission (UGC) would merge with the new entity. The move has also not elicited a positive response from the UGC, though sources indicated that UGC’s position is more of a misunderstanding of the proposed commission’s function rather than a concerted opposition to it.
In the present set-up, individual regulatory agencies work independently of the UGC and some of these are not even administered by the HRD ministry, which is the nodal administrative hub for education. Experts say that often in the current arrangement, the regulatory bodies work at cross-purposes, as a result of which higher education policy is losing focus. An apex regulatory body would ensure uniformity in education policy.
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The idea of the National Commission for Higher Education has had the support of the parliamentary standing committee on human resource development as well. In its report, the standing committee said “the setting up of the National Commission for Higher Education should not be delayed any further”. It has further said that the “existence of various regulatory bodies not only makes the system complex, but also gives its a fragmented character”. The standing committee recommended setting up of “some kind of co-ordinating mechanism at the national level in the best interest of efficiency and effectiveness”.
Earlier this year, the National Knowledge Commission (NKC) headed by Sam Pitroda had also come up with a similar suggestion. It had suggested setting up an Independent Regulatory Authority for Higher Education (IRAHE). The NKC was of the view that such an overarching regulatory body was essential as it would minimise conflicts of interest by creating an arm’s-length distance from stakeholders. It would replace the present system, which is over-regulated but under-governed, through more appropriate forms of intervention.
It would also rationalise the existing system when there are overlaps between various agencies, and it would allow for a single window regulatory system.
The idea of an apex higher education regulatory body is not new, though. The UGC, as recommended by 1948 University Education Commission headed by Dr S Radhakrishnan, was to be set up on the lines of the University Grants Commission of the United Kingdom. This would have given the UGC a larger regulatory role.
However, by 1952, when the UGC was being given final shape, the government decided that all cases pertaining to the allocation of grants-in-aid from public funds to the central universities and other universities and institutions of higher learning would be referred to the UGC. And its role was further narrowed by the time the UGC was established by an Act of Parliament in 1956.
The UGC’s functions had been limited to co-ordination, determination and maintenance of standards of university education in India. Over the years, the functions of the UGC have been further squeezed. At present, the UGC is directly concerned with central universities; it has the power to set academic standards in state universities and grant deemed status to aided as well as unaided educational institutions.
The proposed commission would be headed by a chairman and would have chairpersons of various councils like MCI and others as members. Membership would also consist of vice-chancellors and academician of distinction. An executive committee which would run the day-to-day functions of the commission.
It would also rationalise the existing system when there are overlaps between various agencies, and it would allow for a single window regulatory system.
The idea of an apex higher education regulatory body is not new, though. The UGC, as recommended by 1948 University Education Commission headed by Dr S Radhakrishnan, was to be set up on the lines of the University Grants Commission of the United Kingdom. This would have given the UGC a larger regulatory role.
However, by 1952, when the UGC was being given final shape, the government decided that all cases pertaining to the allocation of grants-in-aid from public funds to the central universities and other universities and institutions of higher learning would be referred to the UGC. And its role was further narrowed by the time the UGC was established by an Act of Parliament in 1956.
The UGC’s functions had been limited to co-ordination, determination and maintenance of standards of university education in India. Over the years, the functions of the UGC have been further squeezed. At present, the UGC is directly concerned with central universities; it has the power to set academic standards in state universities and grant deemed status to aided as well as unaided educational institutions.
The proposed commission would be headed by a chairman and would have chairpersons of various councils like MCI and others as members. Membership would also consist of vice-chancellors and academician of distinction. An executive committee which would run the day-to-day functions of the commission.
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The new body would determine and ensure maintenance of standards of teaching, examination and research in areas where none of the regulatory bodies are mandated. It would also encourage research in emerging professional areas. It would also have the power to resolve disputes among various councils. The Commission for Higher Education would look into the financial needs of universities and other higher educational institutions.Download
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