BJP against hasty passage of foreign univ bill in Parliament

Holding that the foreign university bill can "damage" the country's education system, BJP today said it will not allow it to be passed by Parliament in a haste.

"The party is of the opinion that it (the bill) cannot be passed in a haste. The bill can change our education system. It can damage the present system too," BJP Deputy Leader in Rajya Sabha S S Ahluwalia told reporters after the party's parliamentary party meeting here.

The Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operation) Bill, 2010, which has been approved by the Cabinet, seeks to allow foreign education providers to set up campuses in the country and offer degrees.

Ahluwalia said the party would keep a close watch on the various bills approved by the Cabinet "and decide whether to oppose it or not" when they are introduced in Parliament.

He said at the meeting, chaired by Parliamentary Party Chairman L K Advani, the BJP also decided to form "Shadow Parliamentary Committees" to help its members in the various actual Parliamentary Committees understand the issues better.

"We will also form expert committees among our MPs to provide in depth information to our members who are part of the various Parliamentary Committees," he said.

In his address, Advani praised the MPs for being able to voice their views on various issues like price rise, Women's Reservation Bill, Rail Budget and the General Budget.