Bills to regulate pvt sector in education in the offing

Asserting that education could not be allowed to become a “money-spinning enterprise”, Home Minister P Chidambaram today said the Centre would bring Bills to regulate the private sector in education.

Chidambaram said as education for children was uppermost in the mind of every Indian family, it had led to mushrooming of institutions, which could be avoided in this transition phase.

“But we cannot allow them to become money-spinners and education a money-spinning enterprise,” he said in his address at the Loyola World Alumni Congress 2010 here.

Observing that there was no “over regulation” of the private sector, he said some regulation was “indeed necessary, some to ensure quality of education and others to ensure values are being imparted”.

“That is why there are a number of bills to regulate,” he said.

Expressing concern over hatred between persons of different communities, Chidambaram wondered how it all started.

Recalling the 2007-08 communal clashes in Orissa’s Kandhamal district, he said after taking over as home minister after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, he took up the “challenge” of protecting the affected minority Christians there.

While he asked Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to ensure the return of the displaced persons to celebrate Christmas in 2008 and complete the return of all by the next year, the first task was achieved.

“In 2009, almost all returned and the settling of the rest is in progress,” he said. He said secularism and tolerance were important for the country and urged educational institutions to impart these values to students. He also lauded the Jesuits for their contribution in the field of education.

Chidambaram said great universities and educational institutions could thrive only if their alumni gave back to them something and this was now happening in India, even in the case of IITs.