May 3: Going full steam ahead on its agenda to press reforms in the education sector, the government on Monday introduced four major bills. These include Foreign Universities Bill, National Accreditation Regulatory Authority for Higher Educational Institutions Bill, Prohibition of Unfair Practices in technical
educational institutions, Medical educational institutions and universities Bill and Educational Tribunals Bill.
Amidst din in the House Speaker of the Lok Sabha Meira Kumar asked HRD minister Kapil Sibal to introduce four bills assigned against his name in the order paper. There was total ruckus in the House, as members of the AIADMK, SP, JD(U) and RJD were in the well demanding resignation of telecom minister A. Raja in the backdrop of alleged 2-G spectrum allocation scam. Mr Sibal introduced all the four Bills including the one on allowing entry of foreign educational institutions in the country. Left parties opposed the bill and joined the uproar already being witnessed in the House.
One of the most important Bills to be introduced on Monday was the Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operations) Bill on March 15. The bill seeks to allow entry and operation of foreign universities in the country. The major provisions of the bill are conditions like Rs 50 crores as corpus fund to be deposited by the aspiring institute to be allowed to operate.
Each institute will have to be registered with the University Grants Commission (UGC) or any regulatory body in place at the time of registration.
The bill has a provision under which the government can reject an application of a university if it feels that the venture will have an adverse impact on national security. Provisions of Section 25 of the Companies Act will be applicable for the foreign institutes. Under this provision, they cannot take the profit back, but will have to spend the amount for further expansion of the institutions here.
The bill has been delayed for over four years owing to opposition from various quarters, including the Left parties, over certain provisions.