Every provision of Universities for Research and Innovation Bill 2012 has been questioned by the standing committee

Updated on: Thursday, February 28, 2013

The Parliamentary Standing Committee, in its report tabled in the House on Monday, has questioned almost every provision in the Universities for Research and Innovation Bill 2012. It has pointed to the absence of regulatory and accountability mechanisms for varsities and opposed the entry of foreign universities and private players through this route. The Bill proposed by the Human Resource Development Ministry seeks to set up world-class research institutes.

Though the panel found the objective of the proposed Bill as laudable, it questioned the need to invite foreign universities to set up Innovation Universities in India. "When the proposed Bill lacks provision for regulatory mechanism even in the case of private-funded universities, how would the foreign universities be subject to regulatory mechanism is beyond comprehension," the report noted.

It argued that if at all foreign universities are to be allowed, it should be routed through the proposed Foreign Universities Bill. The report declined to accept the view that "unfettered autonomy is a sina-qua-non for quality institutions to emerge" and said autonomy and accountability go side by side. It disagreed with the freehand given to varsity promoters to appoint chancellors and vice-chancellors in the draft Bill and found the peer-based audit inadequate.

The proposal to set up varsities through Memorandums of Association with the Central government, and not through Acts of Parliament, has also found little favour with the panel. It has said that there is "no immediate need, exigency to bypass the well-established system of parliamentary scrutiny".

The panel noted the absence of adequate consultations on the proposed Bill especially on its possible impact on existing universities.

Every provision of Universities for Research and Innovation Bill 2012 has been questioned by the standing committee

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