Joshi no to foreign funds in education

NEW DELHI, NOV 21: Though the Government is strapped for cash in education, one source it will not resort to is foreign funding. Several NRI...

NEW DELHI, NOV 21: Though the Government is strapped for cash in education, one source it will not resort to is foreign funding. Several NRIs and foreign nationals are interested in establishing schools in India but Minister for Human Resource Development Murli Manohar Joshi has decided against it.

A Ministry insider said Joshi was absolutely against foreign investment in education, as he did not think it came without “strings attached”. Which is why the Ministry is still to reply to a letter from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) eight months ago, which asked every department to indicate which sectors should be given automatic approval for foreign investment. In the past few years, the Government has okayed the establishment of foreign funded schools on a case-by-case basis. In 1993, the Cabinet gave its assent to the setting up of the Mahindra United World College of India in Pune in 1993. It was set up three years later. The FIPB also cleared the setting up of the Canadian School inBangalore in 1995-96.

Foreign collaboration in the school sector was also discussed at a meeting of the Committee of Secretaries. The issue was discussed at a meeting of the State Education Secretaries in July but not at the education ministers’ conference in October, though it was on the agenda. At the July meeting, Gujarat, Assam and Kerala were in favour of the proposal, though the BJP-ruled state of Rajasthan thought it an assault on national integration.

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The sticking point in the matter is whether Indian students should be exposed to the influence of an alien education system, and especially whether their “culture” would survive the encounter. Ministry officials were especially keen on supporting foreign investment in vocational education as it would reduce pressure on Government jobs and higher education and serve as a role model for strengthening the programme.

All foreign investment in secondary education is to be on the understanding that profits will return to India. But now with Joshigetting into the act, it is unlikely that this proposal will get through.

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