The panel, headed by BJP MP D Purandeswari, has held consultations in Kolkata, Goa and Bengaluru to understand what students and young people want from higher education institutions and the proposed new regulatory framework. According to sources, in Kolkata, the panel interacted with the governments of Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Tripura, Mizoram, Sikkim and premier institutions including IIM Calcutta, IIT Kharagpur, Nalanda University. In Bengaluru, the panel got views of the state governments of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
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A source, who did not wish to be identified, told ET, “The panel will visit more cities to get a better understanding from all premier institutions and align our education system to the jobs market.” The outreach assumes significance as the government seeks to overhaul the regulatory architecture of higher education through the Bill, which proposes replacing the University Grants Commission, All India Council for Technical Education and National Council for Teacher Education with a new umbrella body, the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan.
The committee’s consultations come amid renewed student concerns over examinations, admissions, institutional autonomy, academic standards and student welfare. The committee was originally expected to submit its report in the monsoon session. However, its report was deferred after concerns raised by allies, particularly the TDP and the Andhra Pradesh government, led to discussions on some provisions of the bill. The TDP has raised concerns over the extent of the proposed central regulator’s powers and their implications for state universities.
