The opposition to much-hyped proposal of Union human resource development minister Kapil Sibal for creation of the National Council for Higher Education and Research, an overarching body for higher education regulation in the country, has continued.
The government has been unable to seek a response from a majority of state governments on the bill, even after giving them a time of over a month to review and make suggestions on the proposed law.
Official sources stated that only four states — Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur and Chhattisgarh and one Union territory of Chandigarh — had responded on the suggestions till late July.
“The HRD ministry has now sent a reminder to all state governments to submit their suggestions on the NCHER bill at the earliest,” sources stated. Several state governments have repeatedly expressed reservation that the Centre wants to interfere in the state governments’ sphere by creating the NCHER.
The HRD ministry had claimed to have received widespread support on the NCHER bill at the Central Advisory Board of Education (the highest advisory body in the field of education) meeting held on June 19.
However, the less than enthusiastic attitude of the state governments on the issue belies these claims.
The government had given the states till July 21 to send in their comments and suggestions so that the draft bill could be finalised and put up before the Union Cabinet for its approval.
However, with a majority not seemingly keen on the issue the HRD ministry has now shot off a letter to the states to seek their suggestions.
The NCHER bill has been facing a stiff opposition particularly from states being ruled by the BJP, the Left and some resistance was also shown from the DMK, a UPA ally.
The establishment of the NCHER is also being opposed by several Congressmen, including law and justice minister M. Veerappa Moily and health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.
The two ministers have expressed their displeasure at the attempts by the HRD ministry to take over the regulation of legal and medical education in the country.
The bill is considered to be one of the main items on the education reform agenda of the UPA-II.