CPI(M) criticises quashing of regulatory commission

CPI(M) has expressed deep anguish at yesterday's High Court judgement quashing the Himachal Pradesh Private Education Institution (Regulatory Commission) Act and said with the commission ceasing to exist, some alternative mechanism must be put in place.
CPI(M) state secretariat member and Deputy Mayor of Shimla Municipal Corporation Takinder Panwar said the judgement would have "widespread horrendous" implications in higher education in private sector and put a big question mark on the credibility of the education system in the state.
"Recently, Union HRD Secretary at a function here admired the state regulatory body and advised other states to set up similar bodies as well to follow guidelines," he said.

"CPI (M) strongly feels in the absence of any regulatory mechanism, it would amount to invitation to disaster,"he said.
Alleging that "private institutions, especially private universities, blatantly violate the norms," he said with University Grants Commission (UGC) in no position to enforce the norms, the entire higher education system was "on the path of degeneration".
He claimed that private universities were being run on the whims and fancies of individual owners who have placed themselves either as pro-chancellors or even chancellors.

The party said the UGC should be taken to task for failing to ensure that "a fair and transparent process is followed to maintain the quality of education".

It said after quashing of the commission, it would be a "free-for-all" for unregulated private universities.
Panwar claimed students were admitted in private universities after class X in open defiance of the UGC norms and admissions of ineligible students continued throughout the year through the back door.
The government cannot be reduced to a facilitator for sale of fake degrees as there would be no mechanism to check the malpractices, it said.