Education reform bill in budget session: Tope

Updated on: Wednesday, January 04, 2012

The students aspiring for or pursuing higher education in Maharashtra can expect some reforms shortly. The higher and technical education department will soon place before the cabinet reports of three panels constituted to suggest reforms in higher education. These panels were set up in August 2010 on the recommendations of National Knowledge Commission (NKC), which emphasized one university for every 150 colleges to improve quality of higher education.

Former chairman of Atomic Energy Commission of India Anil Kakodkar was asked to head the apex committee while the other two were led by former UGC chairman Arun Nigavekar and former vice chancellor of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) Ram Takwale. "We have uploaded reports of all three panels on our websites and invited suggestions/objections. Within a month, the recommendations by all three panels coupled with suggestions/objections received, would be discussed in the cabinet," minister for higher and technical education Rajesh Tope told TOI.

He added that the new bill would be introduced in the budget session of state legislature but only after getting clearance from the state cabinet. This will pave the way for major reforms in higher education. "We will try to implement recommendations by these panels before 2012-13 academic session," the minister said.

Interestingly, the apex panel led by Kakodkar submitted its report in August last year, while Nigavekar and Takwale panels presented them in November-end. The apex panel had proposed formation of separate body - Maharashtra State Council for Higher Education and Development (MAHED) - for overall development of higher education. This autonomous body was supposed to be funded by the state and would comprise of eminent academicians, scientists, technocrats and industry persons as well.

Kakodkar also recommended more campuses of universities, ideally one in each district. Finally, the report advocated setting up of research centres at various special economic zones (SEZs) in the state, sources said.

Nigavekar panel advocated reforms in the Maharashtra Universities Act, 1995, and said it should be replaced by New Maharashtra Public University Act, 2011. The Takwale panel stressed on dividing big universities to increase their efficiency. The latter suggested establishing as many as 26 universities by 2015 to ensure quality being maintained despite the mushrooming colleges. Both panels also pressed for autonomy to colleges and linking them with professional, industrial and technological institutions.

Sources added that the government had constituted an executive panel to study all the three reports. This panel comprises members from Tope's ministry as well as representatives from all three committees.

Times of India

Education reform bill in budget session: Tope

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