Separate exam-conducting body needed: Sibal

He later told reporters that universities should be relieved of the affiliated colleges which should operate as separate entities.

There can be a separate body to conduct examinations of these institutes. A part of the money could go to universities which will offer degrees,he said.

The autonomous colleges can operate as standalone institutes and run programmes. This will help them concentrate more on research.

“We need to give the institutes the freedom,” he said,expressing concern over the trend of Indian institutions lagging behind in research output.

The book,written by Prof Rangan Banerjee and Prof Vinayak P Muley,said less than one per cent of engineering graduates in India were coming for research.

Sibal said China produces 50,000 PhDs every year but the number is 8,000 in India. While 6,700 people are doing research in Scandinavian countries per one million population,the number is 4,700 in the US. The number in India is just 156,he said.

Quoting the book,Sibal said about 2.3 lakh students had graduated in engineering in 2006. However,the number of students doing PhD that year was mere 1,000.

“This is even less than one per cent,” he said,adding that 10 per cent of the graduates should join PhD.

Sibal said the private sector should come forward in a big way to be involved in the education sector.

“There is need for paradigm shift. The government cannot do this. The private sector has to come forward. The government will create appropriate environment for investment by private sector,” he said.

Sibal expressed happiness over the Reliance Group’s plan to set up a world-class university. He said major universities in the US were set up by the business community.

The book recommends starting a national PhD scheme and that the country should aim at producing 10,000 PhD every year in engineering with support of industry.

As the institutes are facing shortage of faculty,the government should launch a national initiative for the purpose,it said.