Govt panel to select 'institutions of eminence'

The government will soon constitute a panel of experts that will select 20 educational establishments, 10 from the public sector and 10 from the private sector, to be developed as "institutions of eminence", an official said today.
A three-member committee consisting of the Union cabinet secretary, secretary, higher education in the human resource development ministry, and the UGC chairman would select the panel that would then identify these 20 institutions, he said.
The government hopes these institutions will be among the top 500 educational establishments in the world within 10 years, and among the top 100 eventually.
The Union Cabinet had earlier this week given its nod for developing these institutions in the country.

The 10 institutions from the public sector would receive funding of up to Rs 1,000 crore each from the government, the official said.
The list of institutions will be selected by March next year, he said.

Private institutions will not get any government funding but will enjoy regulatory freedom, sources said.
Asked about the provisions related to reservations, the official said the "law of the land will apply".
The HRD ministry may give more autonomy to these institutions and separate rules may allow them to fix their own fees for foreign students and admission procedures, he said.