The Human Resource Development Ministry has already initiated a consultation process with various stakeholders on putting an end to rote learning and nurturing the thinking ability and creativity of the students, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said.
Briefing reporters here on his Ministry “fulfilling the agenda fixed for the first 100 days” Sibal said a draft National Curriculum Framework has also been prepared for Teacher Education consistent with the changed philosophy of school curriculum.
Elaborating his game plan for the next 100 days the minister said three important bills –- one on setting up an independent overarching apex education body, another on preventing malpractices in education sector and the last one on allowing foreign education service providers to open campus in India – would be placed before Parliament in the winter session. The ministry has already circulated a draft Cabinet note for creation of National Commission for Higher Education and Research (NCHER) which would subsume regulatory bodies like the UGC and AICTE.
“We want to get the Cabinet approval soon so that we can introduce the bill in the coming session,” he said.
The ministry has prepared another bill for entry of foreign education providers into the country. The bill, which has been sent to the Cabinet, seeks to allow entry of foreign universities and ensure that these institutions offer quality education to students in India.
For checking malpractices in higher education, the HRD Ministry has prepared a separate bill. “The draft legislation is undergoing legal vetting, whereafter, the approval of the competent authority would be sought,” Sibal said.
The minister also informed that except in Himachal Pradesh the newly established 12 Central universities have started their activities. The Review Committee on the functioning of the Deemed Universities would submit its report by September end.
“The committee will study the functioning of private and public deemed universities. The entire inspection process would be videographed and we will put it on the web so that everybody can see it,” Sibal said.
The government would also offer remedial coaching for SC/ST and minority children whose level of competence is not at par with their peers in the general category in the field of higher education.
The ministry has identified four institutions which would offer such coaching. Each institution has been given Rs five crore, he said.
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