The Hindu : National : Institutions need freedom: Narayanamurthy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 16, 2006

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National

Institutions need freedom: Narayanamurthy

Staff Reporter

Remarks come after Centre denied permission to IIM-B to open campus in Singapore

N. R. Narayanamurthy

KOCHI: Chief Mentor of Infosys Technologies N. R. Narayanamurthy said here on Sunday that Government regulation in higher education had limited the ability of our colleges and universities to adapt to changing conditions. The country had, therefore, failed to build world-class institutions, he said in his acceptance speech at a Cochin University of Science and Technology function where he was conferred a honorary doctoral degree. Chairman of ISRO G. Madhavan Nair also received the same honour.

Dr. Narayanamurthy's remarks come in the wake of the Union Human Resource Ministry refusing permission to the Indian Institute of Management to open a campus in Singapore.

``Lack of market orientation''

He said many of our institutions could not attract and retain high-quality faculty. A lack of market orientation had resulted in colleges being saddled with outdated curriculum and rote learning.

World-class institutions, he said, were not built through government mandate and control but through academic freedom, innovation and pursuit of excellence.

"We must provide our institutions with the freedom to take risks and foster bold, new initiatives for growth. Higher education in India must be allowed to function as an industry in a free-market environment."

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