New Act mooted to allow univs to set up sub-campuses abroad

Additions made in the powers and duties of a university include establishing centres/institutions in foreign countries with the state’s permission as well as creating vocational/skill-based community colleges in partnership with industries.

While the draft prepared under the chairmanship of Professor Arun Nigavekar was submitted in November 2011,another panel under academician Kumud Bansal reviewed it and gave suggestions. The final draft has been submitted by a management consulting firm to the higher and technical education department.

“The final draft will have to be placed before the Cabinet for its approval,” said Higher and Technical Education Minister Rajesh Tope.

The legislation proposes sweeping changes,including integration of an independent fee fixation committee to work out “the real cost of delivery” of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. “The delivery of higher and professional education requires enormous academic,research and administrative support. The use of technology and upgrade of academic support and infrastructure is a continuous process. There is therefore the need to establish a fee fixation committee. It will fix the fees for programmes (other than technical and professional courses) every three years. Autonomous colleges shall decide their own fees,” says the draft.

Other important committees/councils to be constituted under the proposed legislation include a committee for research and development,internal quality assurance committee,college development committee and building and works committee.

Significantly,it calls for setting up a board of national and international linkages. “It will evolve a process for creating memorandum of understanding with national and international institutions for sharing academic resources,running joint research and development and teaching programmes and running joint degree programmes. It will help establish a cell to help foreign students to ensure a single window operation for their admissions,completion of other statutory formalities,language learning,accommodation and other aspects. It will create a migrant Indian students’ cell to provide single window operation for students coming from other parts of the country,” say the new provisions.

Another key aspect is the creation of a board of sub-campuses of the university to facilitate setting up of sub-campuses. The board will coordinate the undergraduate and postgraduate education activities in the district with the university’s larger strategy of expansion,coordinate creation of research and development plans and other fund raising activities for colleges in the district,among others.