The Foreign Educational Institutionsl Bill aims in improving the standards of Indian Higher Education. So far the bill sounds good. The aims of this bill too are in the right grooves, as there is lack of enough infrastructure needed for higher quality Education in India. This does not mean the IITs or IIMs are not quality institutes but are too few in number for our student populace. The passing of bill is quite an important event for us Indians in 21st century.
This bill aims in getting the (best) foreign universities from the world to Indian lands and make them offer what they already offer on their campuses. It’s clauses shall make the Indian government possible to regulate these institutes in a given framework so that these do not exploit the Indians under the “Phoren ka Maal” tag. In a inadequately supplied higher education nation, these universities assorting to such ways of exploitation for sheer profit wouldn’t be surprising.But the law makers are smart enough to add a clause of ‘Not-for-profit’ to be applied to any Foreign Educational Body willing to establish in India. Thus the Bill ensures least that only regulated high quality education enters India.
Another clause which may seem to rebuke the Foreign universities entry is that they cannot offer their own Degrees or Diplomas. Thus these Univ’s are left with only option to offer their courses as some certificate courses. Incase any University wishes to offer its Degree/Diploma courses shall be regulated by the standard norms of UGC, AICTE or Medical Council of India. Thus bringing it under more stringent regulation. With these clauses there seems to be hardly any university to enter the vast Indian Education Market. Well the autonomy of Foreign Institutes is not totally tampered as they are free to setup their own fees framework. Yet this does not kill the hope completely, as under this Bill if an Advisory Board is setup, it can exempt any Foreign body from all ‘claws’ of the bill except ‘non-profit’, making it easier to offer the certificate courses withe minimum requirements to be reported.
Now that exploitation taken care of, the bill does not address some other few issues that are pertaining to Indian masses. Once these Uni’s start churning out students there shall be a few ‘legitimate’ request (read demands) from the various categories of Indian society. In simple there shall be and sure will be ‘peaceful’ demands for reservation in these Uni’s. The government which aims to reduce the inconsistency in education and its deprivation to these classes, wont have much options left. All such issues also need to addressed in the bill if not then all we witness will be agitations, demonstrations etc by some X Community at some Uni’s door.
Another point of worry to my devil mind is ‘Poaching current ‘Brains’. The academicians who work with elite IIT’s IIM’s will surely be lured by the Foreign Uni’s with fat salaries. In a sense it good because introduction of these Uni’s will pump up cash flow offered to the profs. lecturers etc.., but what remains a question is that the current IIT’s IIM’s should not suffer at hands of these Foreign Institutes. Also with past experience Foreign Uni’s being setup in other countries is not so positive, eg Singapore. The Uni’s do good there but fail to recreate themselves in new environment, i.e. Cambridge India will be far below what it is Cambridge, likewise Harvard too. Of many reason for that failure is quality of teaching staff. It commonsensical that such eminent Universities wont be sending their Cream staff to some other country that to for non-profit basis. What it shall offer is the 3 tier teaching staff which is excessive there. After all opening new Campuses in new countries can be only a business move.Thus the research that may be (if at all) done on such new campuses will be of substandard or half-hearted which is of course not the motive.
The lawmakers for sure are not dumb as not to consider this things but a correct and timely addressal to these issues will help a better smooth functioning of the apt bill which for sure the need of the hour. After all Indians are starved with opportunity for higher Education.
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