The HRD Ministry’s plan to set up 20 world-class institutions has failed Law Ministry’s feasibility test. According to sources, Solicitor General of India Ranjit Kumar has objected to a provision related to the powers of the empowered committee, which will screen applications and select institutions that deserve the world-class status. As per the draft regulations, this expert panel, once constituted by the University Grants Commission, can award world-class status independently of the higher education regulator. What else is making news? Kumar is learnt to have questioned the committee’s unlimited powers. “Under the UGC Act, there is no provision for the Commission to delegate its powers to another body. So how can the empowered committee implement the regulations without keeping UGC in the loop?,” a source in the Law Ministry said. The Law Ministry sent its comments to the HRD Ministry this week. The latter’s further course of action is not known at this moment. The proposed regulations — tentatively named UGC (Declaration of Educational Institutions as World Class Institutions) Guidelines — aim to create an enabling architecture for 10 public and 10 private institutions to emerge as world-class institutions. This project is among the budget announcements and is being closely monitored by the Prime Minister’s Office. For more news on education, click here
