Sibal, advisory board to chalk higher education agenda

Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), in the 56th meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) plans to chalk out an extensive agenda for education in the country. This would be Kapil Sibal’s first meeting with the CABE in which the recommendations made by the Yashpal Committee report on ‘Renovation and Rejuvenation of Higher Education’ will be deliberated upon.

The report suggests the setting up of an autonomous overarching authority for higher education and research, called the National Commission for Higher Education and Research (NCHER). NCHER will subsume in it agencies like the University Grants Commission (UGC), Medical Council of India (MCI) and the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

After seeking suggestions on the report from various stakeholders, the final policy framework has been made and presented to the prime minister, according to a ministry official.

The meeting will also touch upon the issue of establishment of new Indian Institutes of Technology, and Indian Institutes of Management. The Eleventh Five Year Plan envisages, establishment of seven IIMs in the Country, out of which one IIM namely Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management (RGIIM), Shillong has been established in Shillong (Meghalaya) which has commenced its first academic session from 2008-09 and the remaining six IIMs will be set up in Tamil Nadu, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh (Raipur), Uttarakhand and Haryana. In addition to this an IIM in Rajasthan is also to be set up.

Of these eight new IITs proposed, six have started from the academic year 2008- 09 and the remaining two IITs at Indore (Madhya Pradesh) and Mandi (Himachal Pradesh) will start functioning from the current academic year of 2009-10. Presently there are 20 National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and the ministry plans to setup 10 more in the current plan period besides 20 Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs).

The CABE will also discuss the academic reforms in state universities and colleges like semester system, choice-based credits, curriculum development, admissions, exams, internal evaluation and end of semester evaluation.

Education malpractices like charging of capitation fee and demanding donations for making admissions, overcharging for sale of prospectus and other admission related publications, not issuing written receipts in respect of payments made by students, are the other issues to be discussed.

Besides, the government will also discuss issues regarding complete autonomy over all matters specifically academic matters like admissions, curriculum, research, assessment, award of degrees and selection of members of the Professiorate, among others.

Also on the agenda will be a national policy to attract talent to teaching and research in an enabling environment. Skill development is another area of concern for the ministry in terms of setting up new polytechnics and strengthening the existing ones. Raising the age of retirement of the teachers in state universities and colleges to 65 years is another point of consideration.

For development of language, the m inistry is formulating a new scheme for the Preservation and Development of Languages in India.

Setting up of Central Madrasa Board (CMB) and Strengthening of National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) is also on the MHRD’s agenda.