Educationists urge caution in replacing UGC with HECI
Staff Reporter
CHENNAI, July 09, 2018 00:00 IST
G. Viswanathan
Ask Centre to wait for the submission of Kasturirangan committee’s report
Educationists and activists want more time for discussion and consultation on the Higher Education Commission of India (Repeal of University Grants Commission Act) Bill 2018. They also want public hearings to be conducted so that educational institutions can give their views.
“If the government decides to introduce it, we request that it should be referred to the Select Committee of Parliament so that public hearings could be held to get the views of educational institutions.
The State government will have time to put forward its views on the Bill,” G. Viswanathan, president of Education Promotion Society for India (EPSI), and Chancellor, Vellore Institute of Technology, told reporters on Friday.
The Centre should defer the implementation of the Bill till the committee headed by K. Kasturirangan submitted its report, he said.
“The State government will lose its powers and universities will lose their autonomy if the Act is enforced. There would be more centralisation, and this will lead to more power with the Central government,” he said.
EPSI would represent the matter to the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development and also take the issue to the notice of the Prime Minister, Mr. Viswanathan said.
Holistic approach
“We want reforms in education, particularly higher education. But we need a holistic approach instead of a piecemeal [approach],” he said.
The society raised concerns such as authorisation from the Higher Education Commission for universities after three years; pattern of funding for research and imprisonment of three years if provisions are violated.
“We want the Commission to be an independent body without political and official interference,” he said, adding that there were 12 members in the commission but no representation from the State.
The Tamil Nadu branch of State Platform for Common School System said the draft Act was against Article 246 of the Constitution. It wanted withdrawal of the Bill and sought measures to strengthen UGC. “SPCSS-TN had requested the Government of India to withdraw the Draft Bill and take effective measures to strengthen the UGC to realise the vision as stated in the Preamble of the Constitution of India,” said P.B. Prince Gajendra Babu, the organisation’s general secretary.
The proposal to replace UGC may even destroy all public-funded institutions, built over years, through hard labour of eminent educationists and with tax payers money.
The Indian working class has contributed to the State-funded higher education institutions through their savings in LIC and provident fund.
If the standards are set in accordance with the market needs without taking into account the societal needs, human development and social progress could not be achieved, he said.
Staff Reporter
CHENNAI, July 09, 2018 00:00 IST
G. Viswanathan
Ask Centre to wait for the submission of Kasturirangan committee’s report
Educationists and activists want more time for discussion and consultation on the Higher Education Commission of India (Repeal of University Grants Commission Act) Bill 2018. They also want public hearings to be conducted so that educational institutions can give their views.
“If the government decides to introduce it, we request that it should be referred to the Select Committee of Parliament so that public hearings could be held to get the views of educational institutions.
The State government will have time to put forward its views on the Bill,” G. Viswanathan, president of Education Promotion Society for India (EPSI), and Chancellor, Vellore Institute of Technology, told reporters on Friday.
The Centre should defer the implementation of the Bill till the committee headed by K. Kasturirangan submitted its report, he said.
“The State government will lose its powers and universities will lose their autonomy if the Act is enforced. There would be more centralisation, and this will lead to more power with the Central government,” he said.
EPSI would represent the matter to the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development and also take the issue to the notice of the Prime Minister, Mr. Viswanathan said.
Holistic approach
“We want reforms in education, particularly higher education. But we need a holistic approach instead of a piecemeal [approach],” he said.
The society raised concerns such as authorisation from the Higher Education Commission for universities after three years; pattern of funding for research and imprisonment of three years if provisions are violated.
“We want the Commission to be an independent body without political and official interference,” he said, adding that there were 12 members in the commission but no representation from the State.
The Tamil Nadu branch of State Platform for Common School System said the draft Act was against Article 246 of the Constitution. It wanted withdrawal of the Bill and sought measures to strengthen UGC. “SPCSS-TN had requested the Government of India to withdraw the Draft Bill and take effective measures to strengthen the UGC to realise the vision as stated in the Preamble of the Constitution of India,” said P.B. Prince Gajendra Babu, the organisation’s general secretary.
The proposal to replace UGC may even destroy all public-funded institutions, built over years, through hard labour of eminent educationists and with tax payers money.
The Indian working class has contributed to the State-funded higher education institutions through their savings in LIC and provident fund.
If the standards are set in accordance with the market needs without taking into account the societal needs, human development and social progress could not be achieved, he said.
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