Preempting any objections by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) about autonomy, the government has decided that all appointments of directors and board members will be done through an independent collegium. This really avoided any kind of standoff like with the IITs, but Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal has also thrown in bonuses and allowed them to expand their campuses abroad. In their first meeting with the HRD minister, the institutions won the major concession. “We want them to be totally autonomous. We want them to tell us what works for them,” said Sibal.

Always accused of playing big brother in appointments, the ministry has agreed to an independent collegium comprising academics and industrialists that will nominate directors and IIM board members. The government may only choose from their recommendations. Government has also agreed in-principle to IIMs setting up campus abroad, a long time aspiration of many like IIM- Bangalore, whose proposal for a Singapore campus was earlier rejected.

“He has promised us no interference and a great degree of,” said Debashish Chatterjee, IIM-Kozhikode. “It is great to hear. It really allows our global aspirations,” said Professor P Chandra, Director, IIM-Bangalore. Sources said the concerns about salary weren’t discussed at the meeting, but unlike the IITs, the IIMs are more or less satisfied with performance related incentives. Nothing’s final yet and the details are being worked out for the next meeting in January, but at least the two parties seem willing to talk and work things out.

Source: NDTV

Over the last couple of years, Indian students made news on international campuses and emerged as the biggest group the world over, going past even the Chinese. In America, India remained the leading country of origin of foreign students for the seventh consecutive time in financial year 2008, increasing by 13% to 94,563 students, according to the Open Doors report – published annually by the Institute of International Education (IIE) with support from the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. In all, over 2 lakh Indian students studied overseas last year. And the attraction of global campuses is not just because of problems at home – such as not enough seats for professional courses or the reservation system. Overseas education is considered a ticket to global careers -and Indian professionals are among the most sought after in the overseas job market. Besides, Indian families still value education over most other investments and parents are willing to avail themselves of loans to send their children for foreign degrees. Indian banks have been providing loans at attractive interest rates in the last few years for education overseas.

In fact, many overseas universities depend on revenue from foreign students and increasingly see India as one of the biggest markets. In 2007-08, for instance, Australian educational institutions earned around A$13.7 billion forex from international students, with as many as 97,000 from India enrolling in courses across the country. However, is the dream run now over? On one side there’s the global slowdown blues and then there are worries over violence against Indian students in Australia, which has in the last few years emerged as the hottest campus destination for Indians. And even though the exact figures for students visas are not yet available from Australia, latest data from the US Embassy – which is available exclusively with SundayET – shows a dramatic 25% decline in the numbers of F-1 student visas issued in India for the financial year 2009 (October 2008-September 2009) at 25,860 against 34,510 issued in FY 2008.

While many experts feel that a short-term fall in the number of students going for education overseas is not surprising, they’re also bullish about the long haul and feel that the number of Indians seeking global degrees will continue to grow in the years to come. “Worldwide economic recession is bound to have an impact on the number of students applying to the USA. However, interest in US higher education continues. Large numbers of students still throng the US university fairs that we organise and we continue to meet students at our centres all over the country seeking guidance on the application procedures. The benefits of US higher education cannot be undermined, an Indian student equipped with US education comes out with a truly global edge,” says Shevanti Narayan, country co-ordinator, educational advising services, United States-India Educational Foundation.

The US is still perceived as one of the most preferred destinations for Indian students, specially in the wake of the attacks in Australia, some of which were racial. “US continues to be a popular destination for Indian students. The quality, choice, value and flexibility are some of the factors that make Indian students choose US over any other country. The US educational experience encourages one to be innovative, creative and think independently. The long-term career prospects of a student are enhanced as the method of teaching is designed to apply theoretical knowledge. The American approach to education is recognized as among the best and most innovative in the world,” Narayan adds.

Australia, on the other hand, will probably suffer a setback as far as popularity among Indian students is concerned. Following the recent spate of attacks against Indian students, the Australian government has initiated steps to improve the quality of education service providers, specially those in the vocational education and training sector. The Australian government as well as the government of Victoria are also looking into issues of law and order and beefing up policing in areas frequented by foreign students. The Indian government too, has initiated steps such as keeping a check on unscrupulous education agents in India. The ministry of overseas Indian affairs is also planning a pre-departure procedure for registration of all Indian students going overseas. The joint working group (JWG) on student mobility set up by both the governments met for the first time recently, agreeing on a number of concrete measures to enhance the interests and welfare of Indian students.

Says Michael A. Opie, manager international students, international office, Charles Darwin University, in the north of Australia, who’s just wrapped up a visit to India: “I was told by all agents that the number of applications are down for Australia and that they expect it to take at least six months to recover. I think the steps taken by the Australian government will help but now that many Indian students are being interviewed before a visa is granted I suspect that this will mean that fewer visas are issued for diploma level studies. This will also reduce the number of students coming to Australia. Prospective students are also aware that there are likely to be changes in migration rules in the near future and this is also causing some hesitation about applying to study in Australia.”

Meanwhile, the UK Border Agency, too, has streamlined the system for student visas under the Tier 4 system which was introduced on March 31 this year and more recently from October 1, all applicants making a Tier 4 student visa application must hold the required funds in their personal or their parents’ bank account for a minimum period of 28 days prior to making their visa application. Despite the new rules, the number of applications for students visas to the UK had increased between April and July 2009. “We are still seeing an increase in the number of students going to the UK. Education is so important to Indian families that they will put this ahead of many other things and continue to invest in their children’s future. I think education is seen as even more important in a time of economic slowdown as it becomes the key route to ensuring a secure career. The new visa regulations have been introduced over the past few months and students and agents are slowly getting used to these and the process is therefore coming easier now that the transition from the old to the new system has taken place. Based on what we are hearing from UK institutions and the UK Border Agency numbers have increased this year,” says Sally Goggin, head education, British Council India and Sri Lanka. In UK, another advantage is that the foreign exchange rate is more favourable for Indian students than many other Western countries. This is a big advantage in terms of tuition fees and living expenses. In 2008, there were over 30,000 students visas for UK were issued in India and conservative estimates show at least a 15% increase over that this year.

Canada, too, is expecting a hike in the number of students from India. Canadian colleges and universities are being actively promoted here and the advantage that Canada offers to Indian students in getting on the fast track to the job market and permanent residence are seen as advantages. “The cost of studying and living in Canada has remained stable at about Rs 4-4.5 lakh per year. Besides, there has been significant interest and a positive vibe generated by the launch of the Canadian experience class visa which as a policy is favourable to international students. Most institutions in Canada have seen an increase in enrolments and some have had record number of applications. This year we are quite optimistic and expect to continue to demonstrate an increased percentage in overall numbers for Canada,” says Maria Mathai, director, Canadian Education Centre, India. It is estimated that there will be at least 4000+ Indian students enrolling in Canadian institutions, up from 31,00 study visas issued last year. New Zealand, too, is expecting more Indian students this year in comparison to last year in view of the fact that international students gain points under the skilled migrant category. Likewise, France has recently allowed Indian students to stay back for six months after their courses to look for jobs.

In fact, more and more Continental European countries are opening their doors wider for Indian students. “Germany has established itself as a very popular research destination for Indian scientists and researchers with over 1000 of them currently pursuing world class research at German universities and research centres. Globalisation of the academic and scientific world has become a reality. The need for globally educated professionals and academicians is evident in the corporate as well as the scientific community. With around 250.000 international students, Germany is the third most popular study destination for foreign students worldwide. To strengthen this position, more and more universities are developing dedicated internationalisation strategies, expanding their networks and customizing their study offers,” says Apoorv Mahendru, head of operations, education network South Asia of the German Academic Exchange Service in Delhi.

This informative article is written by Ishani Duttagupta for The Economic Times, October 11, 2009.

The prospects of getting a job out West may be bleak at the moment, but this hasn’t cowed the spirits of Indian students looking at taking a loan to fund their studies abroad. On the contrary, Indian students seem to have become bigger and bolder in their demands this year, approaching banks for loans which are sizably higher than those disbursed in the past. They also seem to be more willing to take the road less trodden and to move beyond traditional geographies like the US and UK as well as in their choice of courses.

While most banks maintain that the number of overseas loan applications have largely matched up to what they were before the slowdown, the difference this year is that that many students have approached them for loans whose ticket sizes are larger than the maximum limit sanctioned by the banks themselves. “Previously a large number of foreign study loans used to be with the Rs 7.5 lakh range. Now the demand seems to have gone up to Rs 20-25 lakh and occasionally even Rs 30 lakh, which is beyond the bank’s maximum limit of Rs 20 lakh” says an official, from the corporate office of Syndicate Bank. Given the trend in the market, the Oriental Bank of Commerce(OBC) raised its maximum limit for overseas education loans from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 20 lakh about a year ago. Meanwhile, the State Bank of India, which is the largest lender in the country in terms of issuing education loans, slashed interest rates for education loans, sanctioned between May and September this year.

Another trend that bankers have observed is the increasing interest that Indian students are showing in countries like Australia and New Zealand, which have proved to be slightly cheaper in comparison to an established education hub like the US. At Syndicate Bank for instance, while Australia topped the list in terms of the number of loans disbursed, the largest loans in terms of size were disbursed for education in the US.

There are some programmes which elicit a higher level of caution among sanctioning loans. “Banks have been cautious of lending for pilot courses as well as air hostess training courses,” says SC Sinha, executive director of Syndicate Bank. Despite the large scale layoffs and the dismal employment situation in banking and financial institutions in the West, most banks say that they are still sanctioning loans for foreign degrees in finance and management. The Syndicate bank official, however, claims that while they have seen no change in policy in terms of lending, banks are generally cautious with regard to education loans.

This article is written by Lisa Mary Thomson for The Economic Times (October 11, 2009).

There were less F1 student visas for the US issued across India in financial year 2009 (Oct 08-Sep 09) than the previous FY08. In fact, 25,860 issuances in FY09 actually translates into a whopping 25% decline over 34,510, which was the number issued last year. Most experts and consultants feel that the fall in numbers of Indian students choosing to go to the US for higher studies is because of the fall in financial aid offered by institutions rather than any visa strictures. “The US student visas are streamlined now and the reason for less students going to the US from India is probably because educational institutions are offering less financial aid in view of the economic slowdown. In fact, endowments in US colleges have been hit in a big way,” says Poorvi Chothani, Mumbai based immigration lawyer and founder and principal member of law firm LawQuest.

The influential Open Doors report published annually by the Institute of International Education (IIE) with support from the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, which is scheduled to be published next month, will provide a detailed break-up of the numbers of international students at colleges and universities in the US. “Till 2007-08, India remained the leading sending country of origin of international students to the US. This was for the seventh consecutive year, with an increase by 13% to 94,563. However, this year, in view of the slowdown, there could be a different trend,” feels Ajit Motwani, India Director of IIE.

And even as most experts agree that lower financial aid and scholarships are the reason for the drop in number of Indian students going to the US, many are hoping that as the recovery kicks in the numbers will improve. “Going to the US for higher education is an investment decision and in India we’re now seeing all the markets reviving and investors coming back. I think that next year, the number of students going to the US will again increase as many are now making decisions to go and doing the required paperwork,” says Mumbaibased education consultant Karan Gupta.

And even in FY 09, many students have received substantial funding in a range of disciplines to study in America. “We have had success with several students receiving substantial funding as well. Many students who went on to pursue some new disciplines such as fashion marketing, neuroscience, pastoral studies, petroleum engineering, imaging sciences, oceanography and global development economics received financial assistance. In general, students applying for research programmes continue to receive funding despite the drop this year,” says Shevanti Narayan, Country Co-ordinator at the US-India Educational Foundation.

This report is by Ishani Duttagupta which appeared in October 11, 2009 edition of The Economic Times.

The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has asked the newly created central universities to conduct a combined entrance examination. Intent on making these universities into global centres of excellence, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal has said that his ministry would take steps to ensure that foreign faculty could teach at these universities. The minister has also suggested a private-public partnership in academic activities of the universities.

At present, guidelines of the University Grants Commission (UGC) do not allow for foreign faculty. Mr. Sibal said that the UGC guidelines for recruitment of faculty will be amended to allow foreign faculty at these universities. Besides foreign faculty, members of the private sector and professionals would be encouraged to teach at these universities. The minister met with the vice chancellors of 15 newly formed central universities on October 13, 2009. Describing the meeting as ‘unique’, Mr. Sibal said it was important that all the VCs met together, as “we wanted each one of them to know what the other was doing”. The idea was to avoid “duplication”, which has been a problem with the Indian university system.

“We want these central universities to have a bottom up approach, and keep in mind the state’s ecosystem,” the minister said. “These universities will design courses keeping in mind the peculiar problem and ecosystem of the state. The courses will be unique to each university,” the minister said. Outlining the special courses to be designed by each university, Mr. Sibal said these institutions can explore courses on climatic conditions of the region to mitigate the impact of natural disasters like tsunami, cyclone, flood and glacier melting.

But this should not preclude greater interaction among the universities. The UGC has been asked to set up a panel of experts to coordinate the activities of these universities. “We want to create an eco-system that allows for the mobility of students and faculty”, Mr. Sibal said. It is as part of this effort, that the MHRD has suggested a common entrance exam. To begin with this would cover only these 15 central universities, “over a period of time we may bring in the existing central universities as well.” The single entrance would simplify the admission process for students, who would otherwise be required to appear for multiple exams for admission to the university of their choice.

Source: The Economic Times

Education in India is undergoing an overhaul. Starting with the recently enacted right to free education statute, the HRD ministry is already working on legislation for an education tribunal (to resolve disputes between students, institutions and teachers) and a Bill to establish multiple private accreditation agencies, monitored by a regulator. Deliberations are also on to set up the National Commission for Higher Education and Research (NCHER), a single autonomous body to replace the existing education councils, something also suggested by the Yash Pal Committee. And while recent reports about the PMO’s intervention on the proposed Foreign Education Providers Bill may require the legislation to be vetted afresh, but when Kapil Sibal advocates FDI in the education sector as a priority for the government, one can assume he has convincing arguments in support of foreign participation. The proposed Bill will help supplement government spending on higher education and is generating a lot of excitement among potential investors.

Read this interesting article by Satvik Varma in October 16, 2009 issue of The Economic Times.

The E-Learning Debate at Oxford Union

In a major step aimed at attracting serious players in higher education and ensuring that existing ones do not face financial constraints for expansion, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has mooted the idea of a National Higher Education Finance Corporation (NHEFC).

Union HRD minister Kapil Sibal told India’s leading national daily, The Times of India, that such a body is needed for higher education. He said the ministry is examining the proposal and an internal note has been circulated. ‘‘It is difficult to finance new higher educational institutes through plan expenditure alone,’’ he said, adding that a final decision is yet to be taken. But sources said NHEFC could be on top of the ministry’s next 100 days’ agenda.

NHEFC, which will have an authorized share capital of Rs. 10,000 crore (Rs. 100 billion), proposes to directly finance any university duly recognized under law for its creation or improvement of infrastructure. It will grant loans and advances to any scheduled public sector bank or such other financial institutions approved by the corporation for refinancing of educational loans to students. It will also provide venture capital to a university to incubate any scientific or technological idea or product that has emerged as an outcome of any research undertaken by the university.

The proposed NHEFC will also set up an endowment and corpus management fund of higher educational institutions which can manage the endowment funds of the universities and higher educational institutions and provide a higher return than bank deposits. Aimed at philanthropy, NHEFC will directly support at concessional rate establishment of any higher educational institution that has raised at least 25% of its project cost through charitable donations or contributions.

The internal note estimates that the requirement of funds for expansion of higher education will be around Rs. 60,000 crore (Rs. 600 billion) in 2009-10 which will go up to Rs. 1,55,000 crore (Rs. 1550 billion) in 2016-17 to achieve the objective of 25% Gross Enrolment Ratio. NHEFC can be set up through an Act of Parliament or can be a professionally managed corporation under section 25 of the Companies Act.

Source: The Times of India

A graduate from a premier medical school like Harvard or Johns Hopkins cannot practice in India until you clear a screening test conducted by the Medical Council of India (MCI), the Supreme Court has ruled. The screening test will also be mandatory for students who have got MBBS degrees from a country with which India has a reciprocity agreement.

Under the agreement, foreign nationals with medical degrees from their countries could practice in India without appearing in the screening test and Indians with MBBS degrees from home could practice there. But the new SC ruling has changed the rules. From now, even if an Indian student gets a medical degree from a foreign country covered under the reciprocity clause, he will have to clear the MCI’s screening test to practice in India.

At present, certain medical qualifications of UK, Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh are covered under the reciprocity clause. The worst affected would be Indian students who had made a beeline for medical colleges in Nepal after the MCI refused to recognize medical degrees from institutes in erstwhile USSR countries. Now, Indians with degrees from these countries too must clear MCI’s test.

Nepal students worst affected by SC ruling New Delhi: Indian students from colleges in Nepal will be badly affected by the SC ruling which has made screening test mandatory for students who have MBBS degrees from abroad. Dismissing their plea against the screening test, a Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices P Sathasivam and J M Panchal said, ‘‘Appellants have to appear in the screening test conducted by the National Board of Examination in terms of the Screening Test Regulations made by the MCI.’’ Accepting the argument of senior advocate Maninder Singh, who appeared on behalf of MCI, the Bench clarified that the screening test was mandatory for all Indian students who wanted to practice in India after obtaining MBBS degrees from foreign universities. ‘‘A person who is a citizen of India and obtains a medical qualification granted by any medical institution in any country outside India…shall not be entitled to be enrolled on the medical register maintained by a state medical council or to have his name entered in the Indian medical register after March 15, 2002, unless he qualifies the screening test prescribed,’’ said Justice Panchal, writing the judgment for the Bench.

The screening test applicability from March 15, 2002, was envisaged keeping in mind the fact that a large number of private agencies started sponsoring students for medical studies in institutions outside India for commercial considerations. ‘‘It was noticed that such students also included those who did not fulfil the minimum eligibility requirements for admission to medical courses in India. Serious aberrations were noticed in the standards of medical education in some foreign countries, which were not on par with standards of medical education available in India,’’ the SC said justifying its ruling. It was therefore felt necessary by Parliament to make a provision to enable MCI to conduct a screening test to satisfy the regulatory body about the adequacy of knowledge and skills acquired by citizens of India, who obtained medical qualifications from universities or medical institutions outside India.

Source: The Times of India

The number of engineering students going for advanced studies remains alarmingly low despite setting up of new institutions in the country, a study has found. About 230,000 students graduated in engineering in 2006, while only 20,000 master degrees and 1,000 Ph.D.s were awarded that year, according to the study Engineering Education in India, conducted by two professors of IIT Bombay.

Doctorate degrees in engineering are less than one per cent of graduate engineering degrees. The percentage of is much higher for most of the other countries like the United States (9 per cent), Britain (10 per cent) and Germany (8 per cent). In the IITs and IISc, only about one per cent of the graduating B.Tech. class opt for an M.Tech. while two per cent of graduating M.Tech. class opt for Ph.D., the study found. There are 1100 private engineering colleges which produce for 75 per cent of the total engineering graduates.

To augment research, India needs to start a series of initiatives, including partnerships with industries, strengthening existing Ph.D. programmes and research facilities, it said. Vacancies in faculties are also a matter of concern in engineering institutes, including IITs. For better faculty, the masters degree programmes have to be strengthened. India should make a target to create 10,000 Ph.D.s per year in ten years time, the study suggested.

In the research front, India is far behind China. While 19 per cent of the research publications are from China, India’s contribution is only eight per cent. V S Ramamurthy, Chairman of the Board of Governors of IIT Delhi, who attended discussion on the findings of the study, said that “quality” was missing in the engineering stream. The study was conducted by Prof Rangan Banerjee and Prof Vinayak P Muley of IIT Bombay and was sponsored by Observer Research Foundation.

Source: The Economic Times

In a complete overhaul aimed at cleansing the medical education system in the country, a task force of the Union Health Ministry has decided to scrap all regulatory bodies, including the Medical Council of India, Dental Council of India, Pharmacy Council and the Nursing Council.

There will instead be a single regulatory body – National Council for Human Resources in Health – which will oversee seven departments related to medicine, nursing, dentistry, rehabilitation and physiotherapy, pharmacy, public health/hospital management and allied health sciences, sources involved in the revamp process said. The move now needs a formal government notification. The proposed Council will not only perform the regulatory functions but also carry out assessment and accreditation of medical and health institutions across the country.

Simply put, the proposed Council will coordinate the entire gamut of medical and health education in India. This will include drafting courses and the period of study, including practical training, subjects of examination and standards of proficiency, conditions for admissions to courses, provide guidelines on curriculum planning, monitoring and overseeing implementation of UG/PG courses with flexibility for local specific modules.

“Medical education today is dictated by bank balance and caste. The existing councils, besides being unwieldy, have failed to provide a synergistic approach. There is an urgent need for innovation in health-related education. It is unfortunate that medical seats are auctioned in front of students today. This is the best surgical solution for cleansing the system,” a source told the leading national daily The Times of India.

The report which was discussed with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on August 26, 2009 by the task force states: “Professional councils such as the Medical Council of India/Nursing and Pharmacy Councils have been set up to regulate the practice of their respective professions, including education. However, many of these councils have drawn criticism from all sections of society and got judicial censure on several occasions”. The Council will be constituted as an autonomous body independent of government controls with adequate power, including quasi-judicial.

Private medical colleges also place a heavy burden of fees on students and their admissions procedures are not transparent. The curricula of medical schools both public and private are not designed for producing ’social physicians’, the report said. Sources said the Centre will now take this move to all the states before implementing it. On its part, the Union health ministry has already readied a draft bill titled The National Council for Human Resources in Health Draft Bill, 2009.

NATIONAL EXIT TEST
Though all central and state universities shall conduct their own examinations and award degrees, the national council will conduct national-level exit examinations to standardise UG/PG medical and allied health courses. This screening examination shall be mandatory for students who have successfully completed UG from a foreign institution that is not recognised by the council. With this, the National Board of Examinations (NBE) shall be archived.

HOSPITALS TO OFFER PG COURSES
With a mere 9 per cent of the UG medical students offering PG, the task force has proposed that prominent hospitals across the country be allowed to offer post-graduate courses. “PG seats are so few that students have no option but to study what is given to them rather than what they want to pursue,” a source said.

Source: The Times of India

The joke in Delhi’s power circles is that the rate at which the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) is framing cabinet notes and draft bills, many of the next sessions of Parliament will only be passing legislations on the education sector.

A new minister and a new work culture in the Ministry is right now geared to meet the 100-day deadline that ends in the first week of September. The biggest of them all, the Right to Education, has been passed in both Houses of Parliament. A lot of questions, many of them genuine, are, however, being raised about the legislation. Putting together its nuts and bolts will hit many roadblocks by various interest groups but a big step has been taken.

Though there are many other bigticket changes on the anvil, public interest will be on weather the class 10 board examination will be made optional and evaluation will shift to grading system. The answer to both questions is yes, at least for all CBSE-affiliated schools in the country. Most of the groundwork has been done, public consultation has already been undertaken been with there being effusive support and a large section of educationists are rooting for the twin changes. Union HRD MInister Kapil Sibal will announce it on completion of 100 days. It is bound to have its impact on state boards who have promised to take a positive view if it clicks in the CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) – the body which administers the grade 10 and 12 examinations of schools.

But it is higher education where the bulk of action is taking place. Sibal’s promise of initiating a slew of legislations is on track. The idea of amending the Constitution to set up a higher education commission and a legislation to create it is already with the Prime Minister’s Office and other relevant ministries. Simultaneously, MHRD has also moved bills to check educational malpractices by institutions, on educational tribunals, 14 innovation (also called “world class”) universities, accreditation system and a concept note on the “brain gain” policy – the reverse of “brain drain”.

As for cleaning the mess in regulatory bodies, Mr. Kapil Sibal played a key role in ensuring that vested groups do not protect top functionaries of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) from CBI. However, in case of UGC, Sibal seems to have committed a mistake by setting up two review committees one by the ministry and other by UGC (University Grants Commission) — to look into deemed universities. The question being asked is — How can a committee of UGC that advised the ministry to give deemed status to certain institutions now find fault with the same institutes? Also, why is the ministry’s review committee not making a physical verification of claims made by deemed universities? It’s a big let down in Mr. Sibal’s first 100 days.

HITS

• Right to Education Bill passed in both Houses of Parliament
• Making Class X board examinations optional
• A new regulatory body to oversee higher education

MISSES

• Review of deemed universities not handled well
• A thorough probe into doling out deemed status not done
• Not enough attention paid to National Council for Teacher Education

CHALLENGES

• Implementing the Right to Education and ensuring private schools abide by its provisions
• Cleaning mess in regulatory bodies like UGC, AICTE
• Gross Enrolment Ratio in both elementary and higher education should increase

Source: The Times of India

The Indian Government plans to set up a new Education Commission and smoothen the entry of foreign players in higher education among other things. The proposed National Commission for Higher Education and Research will start functioning before the beginning of the 2010-11 academic year and will have best of both the Yashpal Committee and the National Knowledge Commission, the bodies that recommended sweeping changes in higher education regulation.

Existing regulatory bodies like University Grants Commission and the All India Council for Technical Education will cease to exist once the commission starts functioning. “The idea is to give the job of regulation to experts in each specific field rather than to administrators,” Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said while talking to a leading national daily, Hindustan Times.

A draft of the proposed commission circulated to different ministries speaks of a six-member commission to regulate different streams such as technical education, medical education, architecture, general education, research and scholarships. The commission would be an autonomous body like the Election Commission of India. For this to happen, the draft has suggested that the Prime Minister should make appointments to the commission.

Along with the new commission, the government will also have a law to enable it to accredit all higher education professional institutes within a timeframe—defaulters would be fined upto Rs. 5 million. In addition, the HRD ministry has circulated Cabinet notes for a law to allow entry of Foreign Education Providers, against educational malpractices and for setting up educational tribunals to settle disputes between different stakeholders.

Source: Hindustan Times

Lauding India’s technical education system, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton believes the country is one of the best in this field, though it faces a challenge of providing adequate primary education to millions of children. “You can look at the very best in Indian education, and it’s the best in the world. You can look at the technical education and it is to be envied. It is so effective,” Clinton said in response to a question which was texted to her during her recent trip to India.

Answers by the top U.S. diplomat to select questions have now been posted on the State Department’s website. Clinton said millions of children in India, however, don’t have adequate primary education or secondary education or, certainly, college education. “India faces the challenge of so many people to serve in very rural areas, often without adequate infrastructure, so you have to come to grips with how you actually produce the schools that are needed, the teachers who will be dedicated, the curriculum and materials that are required,” she said. “It is truly up to all of us — families, governments, businesses, educational institutions — to do everything we can to give every child a chance to grow up and fulfill his or her God-given potential,” Clinton said.

Referring to her trip to Mumbai last month where she discussed education with volunteers from Teach India and Teach for India, Clinton said their passion for service lit up their faces as they talked about the importance of giving every Indian child the chance for an excellent education. “The underpinning of global progress is education across the entire spectrum, from early schooling to the advanced research and post-graduate work,” she said.

Source: U.S. State Department website and PTI

On her blog, group member Susan Hallenback shares excerpts of an email she received from a New England-area university seeking an enrollment management leader. The email includes the following . . .

This VP of Marketing and Enrollment Management will have overall responsibility for the college’s activities in student acquisition, enrollment, and retention. He or she will be asked to play a particularly important role in bringing the best operational and recruitment practices from the for-profit sector, especially on-line recruitment with real-time data driven strategies, call center support, and a strong sales orientation.

As Ms. Hallenback notes, the emphasis on ’sales’ at a non-profit institution is unusual. But what is most interesting, of course, is the direct request for skills typical of the for-profit higher education sector.  I view this as a symptom of a larger trend toward more sophisticated (and, yes, aggresive) management practices in higher education. There is an awakening, of sorts, in higher education; a recognition that higher education is (and has long been) a business.