New Delhi, July 16: In a bid to bridge the gap between the demand and supply in the education sector, the government is open to the idea of attracting private investment, foreign universities and also ready to adopt PPP route.
Announcing this in Parliament, the human resource development (HRD) minister, Mr Kapil Sibal, said, the gap is huge, Rs 4,00,000 crore, and the government is not in a position to meet the investment requirement on its own.
Replying to a debate on the demand for grant of his ministry Mr Sibal said, “By autonomy in education, I mean giving opportunity of choices to the students. And, to come true on this premise the government alone cannot meet the entire need.”
Opportunity of choices can only be achieved by expanding educational institutions at all level, including higher education, Mr Sibal said, adding that his aim is to jack up the gross enrolment ratio (GER) from the present 12 per cent to 25 per cent by 2012. GER is proportion of students in the higher education as compared to those enrolled in schools.
At present, 60 per cent of students in professional higher education are enrolled in private institutions but only one-forth of them have been found to be employable by the industry. Knowing well that achieving 25 per cent target without private participation is not possible, he said, “So we have planned to invite private sector and foreign universities to participate in our efforts to expand education in the country,” Mr Sibal said. But this will not be free for all and only those, who qualify the barriers will be allowed to enter.”
“We are in the process of finalising an overarching regulatory authority, which will have only professional educationists on its panel. It would be entrusted with the task of determining the entry barriers and while determining them, the members will take into account only the market and research needs of the country,” the minister emphasised.
Countering the charges leveled by the BJP leader, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, that government allowed Aligarh Muslim University to open its campuses only in “Muslim dominated” areas, Mr Sibal said, “Who am I to dictate terms for them. The University has opened its campuses in Kerala and West Bengal and it was their own decisions. If Banaras Hindu University (BHU) has not opened campuses elsewhere, the government could not be blamed for it.”
Assuring the members the minister said that even private sector and foreign universities have to adhere to the existing laws of the land and they would have to give reservation to the disadvantaged sections of the Indian society including women.
–Agencies