14-Dec-2012
NEW DELHI: A parliamentary panel has rapped the human resource development
(HRD) ministry for inadequate consultation with states and expressed concern
that an overarching regulatory body may not have the desired results and
instead make its task "very difficult and impractical".
Questioning the viability of the regulatory body National Commission for Higher
Education and Research (NCHER) to be set up under the Higher Education and
Research Bill, 2011, the parliamentary standing committee on HRD said that it
would be impossible for the over-arching body to undertake the function of
regulating all the specialized fields in a vast country like India.
The panel suggested an over-arching commission which would work as a
coordinator with the specialized bodies like UGC, AICTE and NCTE as a workable
formula under the overall supervision of the Commission.
The time and attention to be devoted to each aspect of higher education sector
are too demanding and these cannot be handled by a single body, the panel said.
"The creation of an over-arching body is also not considered a wise move as it
is against the principles of management," the panel, headed by Congress MP
Oscar Fernandes, said in its report.
Before bringing forth the legislation, it suggested that a study of the
problems and areas of weaknesses in the existing regulatory bodies needs to be
made.
On the issue of inclusion of medical research under the body which had created
a stir, the panel suggested bringing the academic aspect only under it and
leaving the medical research under the National Commission for Human Resources
in the Health Bill.
The panel feels the HRD ministry could have a relook on the multiple functions
of NCHER as given in the Bill so as to arrive at a more logical and practical
one. It firmly believes that any haste in dismantling the functional structures
with a complicated and huge single structure could prove to be
counter-productive," it said.
Drawing attention to the apprehension of the state governments with respect to
their autonomy and jurisdiction over higher education, the panel underlined
that "any attempt to infringe upon the autonomy of the state governments would
not be a wise move..."
The panel was of the view that the HRD ministry should have pursued the issue
with the state governments to allay their apprehensions and arrive at a
consensus on areas of concerns in the Bill.
It also recommended a review of the legislative initiative to dissolve bodies
like UGC, AICTE and NCTE and explore alternative and viable mechanism where the
three statutory bodies function under the supervision and monitoring of NCHER.
The panel also suggested continuing with UGC, AICTE and NCTE, and giving back
the powers of the higher education financial services corporation to UGC. "The
committee reiterates that separate entity of the existing regulatory bodies has
to be continued with the over-arching commission mainly performing the role of
policy maker," it said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/House-panel-questions-viability-of-NCHER/articleshow/17605967.cms
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