The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : State has reservations on higher education panel

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Tuesday, Sep 01, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

State has reservations on higher education panel

Special Correspondent

Composition of NCHER should be broad-based: Minister

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu has expressed its reservations over the proposed National Commission for Higher Education and Research (NCHER) in its present form.

The composition of the NCHER should be broad-based and include representatives of State governments so that their viewpoints will be considered when important decisions are taken, Thangam Thennarasu, School Education Minister, told the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) in New Delhi on Monday.

Articulating the State’s position at the 56th meeting of the Board, the Minister said it was opposed to centralisation of powers on matters relating to higher education, including technical and medical education.

No to regulatory bodies

It had been “strongly opposing” the establishment of regulatory bodies such as the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Medical Council of India (MCI) and the National Council for Teacher Education’s (NCTE) that had been vested with enormous powers of recognition, overseeing and regulating institutions of higher education.

He suggested that the Central agencies prescribe standards or benchmark for higher education and leave it to the States concerned for implementation. Calling for a thorough examination of the issue of regulation of professional self-financing institutions, the Minister noted that that the Yashpal Committee, which went into the issue of the formation of the NCHER, had not given a specific solution.

Better understanding

Arguing that “democratically elected” State governments had a better understanding of State-level issues in higher education, he said they had more at stake than a nominated body such as NCHER in promoting higher education.

Other than standard of higher education, the questions of inclusiveness and social justice were important aspects that could not be left to “a few handpicked persons, however eminent they are.”

Mr. Thennarasu gave an account of the State’s track record in areas such as universalisation of elementary education and secondary education besides the mid-day meal scheme.

He said that the State government would implement Equitable Standard Education in 2010-11 for Standards I and VI and for the remaining classes in 2011-2012.

The Minister also welcomed the introduction of Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill, 2008. He reiterated the State’s opposition to three-language formula.

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