Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal talks about the new board exams

In an exclusive interview with editor A. sandeep, Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal talks about the new board exams, shortage of trained faculty, the role of the private sector and much more

Sir, a quick update on the compulsory accreditation board for higher education.

That is part of the new structuring.

You’ve mentioned that you do not want profit motives in the education sector.

There should be no educational institution based on profit. That doesn’t mean that any educational institution should not make profit. But it is one thing to say that you make profit and distribute it amongst your shareholders, it is another thing to say that you make profit and invest it back into the institution. That’s why the Supreme Court has now said – it is a Supreme Court ruling – that no educational institution shall run for profit, and that any profit made should be invested back into the institution. Therefore, all educational institutions are either run by trusts or societies, not by corporations.

In private universities, the new guidelines say that the entrance exam has to be through one common test and even the fees are controlled.

Private, unaided, no fees are controlled. You are wrong.

Uniform education in India – is it really possible?

Nobody has talked about uniform education.

But the common board?

Who has talked about the common board? I’ve not talked about it ever. What I have said – and that is what is the resolution passed in the CABE committee – is that they will try and develop a core curriculum for science, mathematics, chemistry, zoology, botany, biology, commerce, because there is no diversity in these in terms of regions. Diversity is in subjects like social sciences. All children, once we develop a common curriculum for science and these things, can sit for one examination in India, which will be the source of entry into professional courses. But nobody has talked about either a common board or uniform education. I think this is the imagination of the press.

Some say that the changes that you have been making are the most radical and historic that have been seen in the past decades. Would you consider this true?

I leave that judgment to history [smiles].

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2009
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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