'Don't give blanket permission to foreign varsities'

Rationalise higher education fee: RS member

“Higher education fees should be affordable and within the means of a common man,” he said.

The former Bombay University vice-chancellor was delivering a lecture on reforming and restructuring India’s higher education, in Bangalore on Saturday. The lecture was organised by Bangalore University in association with S Nijalingappa National Foundation.

Great caution needs to be exercised with regard to the proposed entry of foreign varsities into India. Also, a selective approach should be used while identifying the varsities. Only a few of the best universities should be allowed entry into the nation and granting of permits liberally should be avoided, he said.

Speaking on the Eleventh Five Year Plan, Mungekar said if education was considered to be the tool to bring about total change, it should encompass the three E’s- Expansion, Equality, and Excellence.

Education plays a fundamental role in enhancing the quality of human life and facilitates social and economic progress. The discourse of growth and development assumed meaning only in the context of quality education, he added.

 “Human resources constitute the wealth of a nation, while Capital and natural resources are only passive agents. It is the human beings who accumulate capital, exploit natural resources, build social, economic and political organisations and engineer national development,” observed Balachandra Mungekar.

Commending the increase in budgetary allocation for education, he said that the overall quality of higher education in India required a boost.

Former Union Minister M V Rajashekaran, former judge Justice V S Malimath and Bangalore University Vice-Chancellor Dr N Prabhu Dev were also present.