Sibal asks Joshi to support bill to allow foreign varsities

NEW DELHI: The government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that legislation allowing foreign universities to set up campuses in India is passed by Parliament. To this end, HRD minister Kapil Sibal met with senior BJP leader and former education minister Murli Manohar Joshi.

The meeting held on Wednesday was a back channel effort by Mr Sibal to reach out and convince the senior BJP leader to lend his party’s support to the legislation.

Sources said that while Mr Joshi was open to hearing the minister out, he felt that such a discussion could not take place without the government being more forthcoming about the details of the bill. The former education minister asked Mr Sibal to provide details, which would then be studied by BJP before taking a final view.

In its preliminary reaction following Cabinet approval for the legislation, BJP had said that the foreign university bill can damage the country’s education system. It had said that it would not allow for a hasty passage for the legislation, as the bill could change the Indian education system and even damage it.

Parties like Left, BSP, SP and RJD have expressed their reservations about the Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operation) Bill, 2010.

Support from the opposition is crucial for the bill passage in the Rajya Sabha, and given the positions taken by “supporting parties” like BSP, SP and RJD, the government would like to have the firm backing of BJP even for its passage in the Lok Sabha. The Left’s opposition to this bill is unlikely to be dented.

An earlier version of the bill was cleared by the Cabinet in 2007. It was single-handedly responsible for thwarting UPA-I’s plans of introducing the legislation in Parliament.

Mr Sibal is hopeful that the opposition will rally around. He said that the feedback has not been “negative.