Hindustan Times, December 17, 2014

Why is a regulator needed?Zoom

HYPERLINK "javascript:;" Bookmark

HYPERLINK "javascript:;" Share

HYPERLINK "javascript:;" Print

HYPERLINK "http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/showarticle.aspx?article=8b85376d-e3f7-49fa-b7b2-f23a46f0dac4&key=Gvwfhw%2fB9RMOWRfnnzDr9Q%3d%3d&issue=10872014121700000000001001" Listen

HYPERLINK "javascript:;" TranslateDelay in enacting The Distance Education Council of India Bill 2014 could jeopardise the future of Lakhs of students

Its a nightmare for students who have joined distance learning classes. The issue of territorial jurisdiction and valid degree courses in the distance education sector is virtually getting out of control. Despite a June 2013 notification by the University Grants Commission (UGC) which restricts a state/private university from offering courses beyond its state boundaries, private universities continue to bend the rules.

That the UGC is helpless is obvious because all it has managed to do so far is complain to state chief secretaries about the mess and urge them to stop the universities from committing the violations. In a recent RTI reply, the UGC has also admitted to writing to the chief secretary of Karnataka to stop the Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) from offering degree courses through institutes in other states.The violation is so blatant that even in Delhi hundreds of institutes affiliated to state/private universities of other states, are offering degree courses which are illegal in view of the UGCs own notification. Since the UGC is a mute spectator in this case, the future of lakhs of students is in jeopardy as the degrees they get will not be considered valid in spite of the fact that they have paid good money for the same, says a UGC official.Appointment of UGC as a regulator for distance education programmes is a stopgap arrangement till a new distance education council of India is set up. UGC does not have the requisite expertise to perform the task.Theres an urgent need for the distance education of India bill to be passed in Parliament and made an act so that a regulatory authority can take control of distance education in India. It should have come in earlier during the UPA government rule. There is a complete paralysis as private universities have been offering all sorts of courses without any checks for the last couple of years. So some authority must come up to stop this right now, says Professor NR Madhava Menon, an eminent academician, under whose chairmanship a committee was set up to revamp distance education in India. It was his committees recommendation based on which the Distance Education Council was dissolved and the UGC was given power to regulate distance education till a new regulator came in. The Madhava Menon Committee has envisaged a regulatory authority such as the distance education council of India through an act of Parliament.Another issue hampering student interests relates to new three-year and postgraduate degree courses being launched by numerous private universities without UGC approval.Interestingly, a national collaborator of KSOU recently circulated a mail among various institutes informing them about new three-year-degree course devised and started by the university. These degree courses are BSc in hotel management, BSc in fashion technology, BSc in interior design etc. The collaborator also said there were some other degree programmes such as BSc in multimedia, BSc in fire and safety etc which are under process in the university. The institutes were asked to sign agreements with KSOU for running the courses. While other private universities are more discreet in offering such courses, KSOU is defiantly defending its programmes, with the registrar of the university saying, These courses are approved by the statutory bodies such as academic council and board of management of the university so they are valid and the university has the power to introduce such new courses.HT Education has also received many replies through RTI applications in which the UGC has said that a private/ state university cannot invent degree courses on its own and that such courses are illegal. In an RTI reply published by HT Education on July 23, 2014, the UGC had said that courses such as MSc in fashion communication, MBA in interior designing, BSc in operation theatre technology, MBA in fire safety, and BSc in airlines and hospitality etc were invalid.Says Prof Menon, The UGC has the overall authority in higher education and therefore, if you are introducing a new degree course, the UGC will have to concur. It is independent in its domain

Does the draft bill address concerns of all stakeholders?Zoom

HYPERLINK "javascript:;" Bookmark

HYPERLINK "javascript:;" Share

HYPERLINK "javascript:;" Print

HYPERLINK "http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/showarticle.aspx?article=9bf85dbc-1c53-4665-947d-8b9b18aee1d5&key=2jlGimWgmtxOcF4fqLKveg%3d%3d&issue=10872014121700000000001001" Listen

HYPERLINK "javascript:;" TranslateEducation experts say the Distance Education Council of India Bill 2014, details of which are up on the website of the ministry of human resource development for suggestions/views/ comments of all stakeholders, should be passed in Parliament as soon as possible. Academicians are of the view that open and distance learning (ODL) institutions, which enrol one-third of students in higher education, offer huge opportunities for providing low cost education to anyone and anywhere.

Majority of the institutes agree that distance education shouldnt be confined within any boundaries.However, there is hardly any attempt to make a comprehensive survey of the functioning of open and distance learning centres on the basis of which appropriate inferences for designing policies on ODL could be drawn. Unfortunately, the UGC, as regulator, has been oblivious to the lack of quality and efficiency in functioning of ODL institutions. I think the draft bill should be enacted as soon as possible to protect the interests of the students, says MM Ansari, member, UGC.Even on the question of territorial jurisdiction, a majority of the stakeholders agree that distance education shouldnt be confined to any boundary and allowed to go beyond the country, provided there is a mechanism and regulatory methods to control the quality and standards of education.

According to RK Arora, former deputy director, erstwhile Distance Education Council, I dont see a specific provision in the draft bill on the subject of territorial jurisdiction. However, I believe that once the regulator comes into place, it will not restrict the distance education within any boundary. I firmly believe that distance education needs no boundaries.Agrees Prof Menon, There are ample provisions in the bill which ensure that the quality of education will not suffer and learners rights will be protected even if a university is allowed to offer courses beyond its own territorial boundary. If there is no provision for ensuring quality, then distance education even within the territory of the university remains a big problem.Owners of some institutes have objected to a lot of provisions of the draft act. AK Bajpai, secretary, Kurmanchal Institute of Degree and Diploma Engineering (KIDE) Educational Society, Nainital, which had got a clean chit from a Supreme Court - appointed commit -tee investigating allegations against it for not maintaining proper infrastructure and facilities, says: I have written to the HRD ministry objecting to provisions in the bill. It allows study centres at existing degree colleges and AICTE-approved centres which, according to me, is wrong. If an institute can have proper facility, faculty and infrastructure, it should be allowed to run distance education programmes. I have seen many AICTE-approved institutes not maintaining adequate infrastructure.

Students, alumni cheer as SPA Bill 2014 gets Parliament nodZoom

HYPERLINK "javascript:;" Bookmark

HYPERLINK "javascript:;" Share

HYPERLINK "javascript:;" Print

HYPERLINK "http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/showarticle.aspx?article=4615af09-966e-4397-87b5-938eada047c5&key=5tu6%2b1In7XdfiVXKjyC05A%3d%3d&issue=10872014121700000000001001" Listen

HYPERLINK "javascript:;" TranslateI would like to expresses my gratitude towards the present government for passing the School of Planning and Architecture Bill 2014 which makes three SPAs institutes of excellence. This bill has given identity, endorsement and eminence to our studies and now we are able to apply for government jobs, says Triveni Prasad Nanda, former student, SPA, Bhopal.

HT Education had run a series of stories campaigning for the rights of the architecture studentsNanda, till now, had an uncertain future despite securing all-India rank 640 in the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) in 2008 (replaced by JEE later) and all India rank 5 in the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) in 2013.He graduated from the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Bhopal in 2013 but since the institute, established in 2008 by the Central government, didnt have degree-granting status, he was neither able to practice as an architect nor apply for a job.

Once any student completes a five-year bachelors of architecture course, he/she is supposed to get enrolled with the Council of Architecture (CoA) and get a registration number. Since SPA Bhopal and SPA Vijayawada didnt have degree-granting status, candidates admitted in 2008 and passing out in 2013, were unable to do anything because they could not get enrolled with CoA in the absence of any degree certificate, says Nanda.Now since the bill has been passed by both houses of the Parliament, hundreds of students from these two schools now expect that there wont be any obstruction in the way of getting enrolled with CoA.However, hundreds of students from other prominent architectural institutes continue to face problems as CoA is still refusing to enroll them, saying that the institutes from where the students had completed their courses were running without its approval.Alleging that the study of architecture in these institutes was not at par with the CoAs minimum standards of education, a competency test had been conducted by the council. However, the Delhi High Court had imposed a stay on the announcement of the result of the test. Not only that, even the Central government and a recent Calcutta High Court judgment of held that the CoA had no power to conduct any competency test.There is a fight between AICTE and CoA on the question of getting approval. Students from AICTE-approved institutes are not being recognised by CoA, says an architecture student requesting anonymity. I got admission to an institute which ran with AICTEs approval. I even appeared in CoAs competency test but now there is a stay on the announcement of its result. I hope MHRD takes note of this, says the student.