Besides the point that the announcement shocked urban India, which finds private deemed universities as the next best option to IITs and foreign universities, the question that comes to a discerning mind is about the differentiators between colleges with academic and financial autonomy (whose exams will not be conducted by any university but a special board) and deemed universities(whose status entails them autonomy in deciding courses, syllabi and teaching methodology).
So, except for the fact that deemed universities are mandated to take up research while the minister wants the state universities to concentrate on research, one fails to differentiate between what he proposes to have and what he wants to do away with. Or is he just interested in the nomenclature?
Let’s not forget that some of the deemed universities that face de-recognition now were founded around 10 years ago. It was certainly an error on the part of the government to have accorded the deemed status without scrutiny. And after that mistake, what purpose would it serve if the whole system is abolished, instead of tightening the screws?
If Kapil Sibal is concerned about the kind of research being carried out in these private institutions, this only juxtaposes with his eagerness to woo private sector in research. While on one hand he opposes deemed universities, on the other, he invites private sector to invest in education. So does he expect the private players to play a donor role, expecting no return on investment?
Let’s look at his take on higher education – leaving primary education for future. He wants to abolish exams for Class X - reminiscing his education in the US decades ago when they were allowed to take the books to the exam hall - but proposes to set up a body to conduct exams at university level! Isn’t doing away with written exams the next step after open book exams, at least at post graduate level, as companies conduct their own tests during recruitment? And all this, with no reference to arts or other educational streams.
Amidst all this drama, Sibal travels abroad to ink agreements with foreign universities and wants many top-notch institutions to set up an Indian arm. But how will such satellite campuses benefit Indian students or even themselves? How will these acclaimed universities with their exorbitant fees structures be able to offer courses at a lower cost? If not, how would our students gain? And of course, a local base would deny students of exposure to the best minds and facilities that they get at international campuses.
I am not against good institutions coming to India, but against students ending up with degrees from good universities without quality education. And does the minister think that private institutions from other countries are not corrupt, but only ours are?
All these bring to us the main question: Who will benefit from these initiatives? There is reference only to technical education and foreign universities; so what about other streams? Has he forgotten that most Indian population still wants good quality education and not just degrees - both in arts and science and not just technical courses? Or does he think that only professional courses constitute higher education? If not, one would like to know what he plans for the higher education system in the country, rather than ad hoc announcements.
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