Ombudsman for higher education institutions

More news from HRD Minister Kapil Sibal’s chamber.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development will put in place a grievance redressal mechanism for students and applicants for admission in higher educational institutions. The framework will be implemented in all central universities, IITs, IIMs, NITS, IIITs, private and government-run deemed universities and all higher educational institutions under various Central government ministries.

Regulatory bodies such as the University Grants Commission, All India Council for Technical Education and National Council for TeacherEducation would ask educational institutions to set up grievance redressal mechanisms.

KAPIL SIBAL: SETTING STANDARDS?

As part of the initiative, each institute would be required to appoint an ombudsman who would be a person with judicial or legal experience. In case the grievance relates to SCs/STs/OBCs or minorities, the ombudsman can co-opt a person of eminence from the weaker section to assist him in taking a decision. The institute would have to appoint him from a panel suggested by the affiliating university in case of technical and management institutions and the Central Government in case of deemed universities. “Non-compliance can lead to withdrawal of recognition,” Sibal states.

Applicants for admission and students can apply to the ombudsman for redressal of grievances and s/he would have to give the order within a month. According to Sibal, students have several grievances at the time of applying for admission that needs immediate redressal. Sibal indicated that even the Parliamentary standing committee, in its report on the bill to prohibit and punish unfair practices, had recommended setting up of grievance redressal frameworks.

US-India Higher Education Summit 2011

THE big education event of the year is finally here.

India’s Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal is on his way to the US-India Higher Education Summit to be held in Washington, DC on Thursday, October 13, 2011. The stage is set for positive developments in higher education collaboration and exchange between India and the United States.

The summit will begin with opening statements by Kapil Sibal and the Secretary of State of the US, Hillary Clinton. The summit will be jointly hosted by the government of India and the United States government and attended by higher education leaders and government officials from the US and India, as well as private sector leaders.

On the cards is a discussion on US-India Higher Education Cooperation, co-chaired by senior officials from the US and Indian governments. Prominent higher education and thought leaders will speak at a plenary session and in breakout sessions on topics crucial to expanding and strengthening higher education collaboration between our two countries.

Topics on the table include joint degrees, research partnerships, accreditation and quality assurance. In addition, the summit will highlight the importance of education as a pillar of the US-India Strategic Dialogue and set forth goals for deepening this aspect of our bilateral relationship in cooperation with the many excellent institutions of higher education in both countries.

For more news on the summit, watch this space.