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Foreign universities ready for affirmative programmes: Kapil Sibal
PTI
Friday, March 19, 2010 22:17 IST
New Delhi: Reservation laws may not be applicable for the foreign
universities aspiring to set up campuses here, but they are ready to
carry out affirmative programmes for children of the weaker section,
HRD minister Kapil Sibal said today.
"Whichever foreign educational institution has spoken to me, has said
'we in our country carry out affirmative programmes. When we are in
India, we will certainly carry out those affirmative programmes',
Sibal told Karan Thapar in India Tonight programme.
The cabinet this week passed the Foreign Educational Institution
(Regulation of Entry and Operation) Bill, 2010, which seeks to allow
the foreign educational providers to set up campuses in India and
regulate their operations.
Sibal said the aspiring institutions are sensitive to the issue of
affirmative action even though reservation laws may not be applicable
to them as they will be considered as private education providers.
There is no reservation law for the private education providers in the
country currently.
Sibal hoped the new law could be put in place by the end of this year.
He said the bill would be introduced in Parliament in April.
The bill would go to a Standing Committee after it is introduced in Parliament.
"By December 2010, this could be a law. I believe so. You should be
prepared by the next academic session to implement it," Sibal said.
According to him, there are a number of foreign institutions aspiring
to be associated with the education sector here. But not necessarily
all of them will set up campuses. Some of them are interested for
collaboration, while a few are interested for joint research with
Indian institutes. Some are interested for skill development and
vocational training, he said.
Sibal said a number of Ivy League universities are also interested to
come. Yale is interested for collaboration, he said, adding Boston
University is extremely keen to come in some form.
The foreign education providers can operate in India as FDI is allowed
in education. But the new law will regulate their operations. At
present, 69 foreign education providers are functioning in India.
These universities will decide their own fee as they will be
considered as private universities. However, their fee could be much
less than the fee they charge in their respective countries, Sibal
said.
"It is because the cost of infrastructure and other things is less in
India," he said.
In a way it will help students to get education and degree at a much
cheaper price from a foreign university which would have cost them
hugely if they had travelled to those countries for the same courses,
Sibal said.
"Lot of Indian students are unable to pay USD 60,000 or 70,000. If you
pay USD 60,000 in the US, you can get the same education at USD 20,000
or USD 15,000 or even at USD 10,000. People may not go abroad but
study here," he said.
Sibal ruled out concerns raised over poaching of teachers by the
foreign institutions.
He said the attrition rate in IITs is nearly nil despite a lot of
private institutes functioning in the country. He said job security
and perks given to IIT teachers may not be matched by the foreign
universities.
He said the foreign institutes will not be allowed to repatriate
surplus generated from education activities in India. "If we feel that
services are paid or being paid in an indirect fashion for the purpose
of repatriating money, we will certainly look at that issue."
But the all foreign education providers will have get accredited by
the proposed National Accreditation Authority for quality control.
Their entry will bring revolution in terms of quality, he said. It
will have enormous impact on research and creation of Intellectual
Property.
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