People's Democracy

SFI Welcomes SC Ruling On Private Varsities

THE central executive committee (CEC) of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) has welcomed the Supreme Court judgement declaring 112 universities based in the state of Chhattisgarh as illegal. It has also urged the central government to take note of this crass commercialisation of higher education that took place under the Ajit Jogi led Congress government in Chhattisgarh and ensure that such sub-standard private universities are not permitted to start their ‘shops’ anywhere in the country. The future of the unsuspecting students who had enrolled in the private universities should not be jeopardised and their admissions to universities that are recognised by the UGC should be ensured.

The SFI also announced its intention organise countrywide protest demonstrations on February 17, demanding that the government abandon the move and rather increase state funding for the existent central and state universities by stepping up expenditure on education to 6 per cent of the gross domestic product. This is precisely what the CMP of the UPA stands committed to.

The SFI also said the Supreme Court judgement should be a notice to all such state governments, like those of Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, as want to give a free hand to private institutes without bothering about the quality of education that is imparted in them. Of course the judgement is based on the ground that the powers of the UGC and its guidelines were not taken into consideration while framing the infamous Chhattisgarh Private Universities Act 2002. Yet, it must not lead to the conclusion that, private and foreign universities can be permitted to function in our country if the set pre-requisites are met.

The SFI pointed out that the UPA government is currently considering moves to grant permission for the establishment of foreign and private universities in India, as is evident from the discussions held at the conference of state education ministers held at Bangalore on January 10-11, 2005. (The minutes of these discussions are available with the SFI.) But, to the SFI, permitting foreign and domestic private players to start universities --- with powers to determine their own courses, admission policy and fee structure, conduct examinations and also award degrees --- would be detrimental to our national interest and would severely impair our intellectual self-reliance. The quality of higher education would be severely affected as dubious and communal outfits like the RSS would step in to start their own universities.

The CEC of the SFI has asked the students community to express its opposition to such moves by the union government to allow the establishment of foreign and private universities in the name of compliance to the GATS under the WTO. (INN)