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| Foreign universities need to adhere to quota laws: Sibal |
| Press Trust Of India / New Delhi Sep 28, 2009, 00:42 IST |
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Adherence to Indian laws, including on reservation, will be one of the prerequisites for foreign universities interested in setting up their campuses, says Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, who favoured a 100 per cent ownership for these international institutes.
The ministry has already prepared a draft Bill dealing with the issue, which it expects to put before the Cabinet soon.
Giving details of the draft Bill on Foreign Education Providers, Sibal said these institutes also need to take clearance from the accreditation committee for quality control.
“Reservation laws as applicable to Indian institutes will be applicable to the foreign institutes. There will be no discrimination,” Sibal said, when asked if these universities were expected to implement quota.
The Central Educational Institutions, except minority institutions, have quota for Other Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the ratio of 27 per cent, 15 per cent and 7.5 per cent, respectively.
Asked whether the international universities would have complete ownership of the campuses, Sibal said: “If there is a 100 per cent ownership of the private sector here, why not 100 per cent ownership of foreign universities?”
Sibal has also made it clear that no foreign institute will be allowed to take back home the surplus income generated at their campuses in India. The surplus has to be spent for the expansion of the campus within the country.
Asked if there will be objections from political parties to the provision of the 100 per cent ownership of the foreign universities, Sibal said objections were welcome on any issue.
“There will be objection. There is no process of change without objections. And I welcome objections. I welcome dialogue.”
Sibal said some of the big universities have already approached the ministry with proposals of setting up campuses. If the Bill is passed, the foreign universities may start operations by next year.
To ensure that no fly-by-night operators come to India, the aspiring institutes will have to go through the accreditation procedure of the country.
“Take, for example, Cambridge and Stanford. There are some universities which are internationally recognised. If they want to come, welcome. But when they come, they will go through the accreditation process here,” he said.
The government is set to bring another law to make accreditation compulsory for all institutes in the country.
Sibal also said it might take about a year till the foreign universities came and set up their campuses.
“It is not going to be that quick. It will take a year or so. Maximum investment could be in the hospitality sector,” he said.
Talking about various fields these international universities could come in, Sibal said there was employment opportunity in the hospitality sector, in which many might be interested.
According to the draft Bill, the foreign education providers will be regulated by University Grants Commission and any successive regulatory body.
About 50 foreign universities, including Duke University from the US, have evinced interest to open campus in India, official sources said.
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