New Delhi: Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal has said that more than 27,000 additional institutions of Higher learning would be required to meet the targeted Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of 30pc for 2020.

This figure includes 14,000 colleges of General Higher Education, 12,775 additional technical and professional institutions and 269 additional universities.

This was stated in a presentation made by Sibal during the meeting of the Consultative Committee for the HRD Ministry held here; the subject being 'Expansion of Higher Education'.

The meeting was chaired by Kapil Sibal and the Minister of State for HRD, D. Purandeswari. Addressing the MPs, Sibal asked for their collaboration in education, so that India can become a world power by 2020.

The presentation also enunciated that the National Policy on Education, 1986, as amended in 1992 guides the ministry in the formulation of its policy. Policy measures of the ministry include enhanced public spending in Higher Education, private investment to be encouraged without compromising on the NPE framework, incentivising state governments to enhance investment and to encourage investment through philanthropy. The proposed fresh legislations for the Higher Education sector were also outlined.

Issues raised by the Members of Parliament included whether adequate regulatory framework was being envisaged for private participation in the education sector , whether the Union Government was envisaging an SSA type large scale programme for the higher education sector also, whether Foreign Universities, if allowed to come to India would be making profit, and whether steps had been taken to incentivise people to enter the teaching profession Concerns were raised on the inadequate numbers of faculty in state universities and colleges; on the proliferation of technical institutions.

A Member of Parliament stated that meeting with academicians and debate is required before the proposed over arching body for higher education comes up.

One Member of Parliament stated that Chairs for specialised studies on Central Asian countries had also on other parts of the world were required to produce adequate number of scholars in these areas. A suggestion was also made that indigenous knowledge must be made part of university curriculum.

One MP was of the view that AICTE and UGC have a long standing as institutions and may not be tampered with.

Responding to these concerns, Kapil Sibal assured the MPs that the mandate of the proposed overarching body in higher education would be enforcing quality and good governance procedures in higher education institutions.

He underlined that the regulatory framework would be enforced for higher education. He clarified that financial constraints would not allow the Central Government to have an SSA type programme for the country in higher education.

He said that besides the additional spending being done by the government for building new Central Universities, degree colleges in educationally backward districts and the scheme for incentivising state governments for expanding in higher education, the state governments will also themselves have to look for private investment.

He stated that when foreign Universities come to India they would not be allowed to make profits through tuition fees.

He explained that even in the West, Universities depend on endowments for a larger percentage of their finances. He stated that India needs to set up a world class institute in Humanities.

He pointed out that salaries for teaching faculties had been enhanced substantially in order to make the profession more lucrative for them.

The Minister also stated that both the Yashpal Committee and the National Knowledge Commission, on whose recommendations the propsed overarching body for Higher Education was being set up, had done extensive rounds of consultations with stakeholders and academicians while preparing their reports.