Major education reforms bills to be discussed at CABE

Updated on: Friday, June 18, 2010

Two major education reforms bills, one for setting up of an overarching regulatory body in higher education and another for starting an electronic databank of academic degrees, will come for discussion at a high-level advisory body on Saturday.

The Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), which has state education ministers as its members, will discuss at length the Higher Education Research Bill and the National Academic Depository Bill.

The Higher Education Research Bill seeks to set up National Commission for Higher Education and Research (NCHER) as an overarching body in higher education. A task force, set up by HRD Ministry, has already prepared a draft NCHER Bill. The task force has favoured bringing medical, legal and agricultural education under the
ambit of the NCHER.

With an aim of eliminating scope of fake certification, government has also prepared a bill which envisages creation of a database of academic degrees. The draft National Academic Depository (NAD) Act 2010 will be discussed at CABE. As per the proposed law, data of all academic certificates issued by universities and central
and state school boards will be maintained in electronic form.

The National Academic Depository, to be set up for the purpose, will adopt adequate system of safeguards for storage, access and retrieval of records while ensuring its confidentiality, fidelity and authenticity. It provides for Rs 10 crore penalty or 10-year jail term in case of wrong endorsement by officials of the databank.

The other issues to be discussed at the meet include sharing of funds under the Right To Education Act, revamping of a vocational education scheme and introduction of common curriculum for science and commerce at under-graduate level. As per the revised assessment of the HRD Ministry, implementation of the RTE Act will require Rs 2.31 lakh crore in the next five years. The earlier estimate of the Ministry had pegged the cost at Rs 1.71 lakh crore.

Besides, the ministry will float the concept of starting National Education Finance Corporation at the education ministers conference tomorrow. The corporation would function as an institutional mechanism to ensure that philanthropic institutions and students get loan at concessional interest rates.

Schemes like Saakshar Bharat, Rashtriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhiyan, Model Schools and 374 degree colleges will be discussed at the conference. The education ministers will also discuss starting a new welfare scheme for teachers also.

Major education reforms bills to be discussed at CABE

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