Soon, education to have tribunal

The bills to be introduced are the Education Tribunal Bill, Assessment and Accreditation Authority bill, Foreign Education Providers Bill and Punishment of Educational Institutions for Malpractices Bill.

Addressing a gathering of National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) members, vice chancellor and members from University Grants Commission(UGC) on Saturday, Sibal said that the Education Tribunal Bill will empower states to monitor the issues of regulation of the higher education institutions.

The Union minister said that the issues of assessment and national accreditation of institutions will be facilitated by the state tribunals.  The Union HRD Minister also emphasised that the Assessment and Accreditation Authority Bill will possess the powers to make assessment a mandatory process for all institutions adding that the institutions of world standards will be created.

On the Foreign Education Providers Bill, Sibal said that the bill implicates the participation of foreign institutions and universities. “The bill means introduction of twinning programmes, joint ventures between Indian and foreign universities, setting up of departments, certificate courses, skills enhancement programmes, and vocational training courses”.

Terming Bangalore, ‘Mecca of knowledge’, where high quality government and private educational institutions exist, Sibal urged the academic community to voice out and participate in the national debate of improving higher education. He pointed, “The gross enrollment ratio has to increase from the present 12.4 percent to 30 percent by 2020.

The nation requires 800 universities and 25,000 to 30,000 colleges” adding that a regulatory body like NAAC to assess and accredit these institutions is mandatory.
Sibal also suggested the need for certificate courses or diploma within NAAC for assessing the persons involved with accreditation of educational institutions.
He said that the states should take the ownership to realise the quality of the institutions.

NAAC campus

Sibal dedicated the NAAC headquarters as the ‘Campus in the service of higher education.’ Appreciating the architecture of the campus, Sibal said the design reflected a transparent system which allows the winds of change and helps achieve levels of excellence in education.