A public meeting was conducted on “Assault by Corporate Capital on Higher Education and Our Alternative” on 5th February. Apart from representatives of AIRSO, RYFI and SAMB, the speakers included Prof. H. S. Yadav (Deptt. of Regional Development & Economic Growth, Barkatullah University, Bhopal); Ms. Nusrat Bano Ruhi, the octogenarian college teacher in social science and former President of National Federation of Indian Women and Prof. Ramesh Dave.

The meeting concluded with a signature campaign on a 9’x4’ banner with five demands to be sent to the President of India along with our Memorandum. At the end of the 12-day campaign of public education and protests, we may end up with five such banners will be folded and sent to the President in a parcel. Sadgopal says that we must all know and feel that none of are alone in raising our democratic voice against the WTO-GATS agenda being ruthlessly pushed through the Parliament Bills on higher education.

Bar Council of India (BCI), has termed the protest as successful and thanked advocates throughout the country. According to BCI a meeting has been called by the ministry of HRD to discuss the issue on 23rd January in this regard.

Government is planning to introduce single accounting system for all educational institutions in the country. Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal today said that government is working on this direction so that all colleges, schools or institutions of higher education, associated with central bodies, would be able to follow single accounting system in the coming days.

Earlier, an MoU was signed today between the Power Finance Corporation Ltd (PFC) and the National Literacy Mission Authority (NLMA) in the presence of Kapil Sibal and other dignitaries. According to MoU PFC will extend assistance to “Saakshar Bharat Programme” to upgrade 120 Adult Education Centres (AECs) at a cost of Rs. 6.6. crore in Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Manipur, Nagaland and Himachal Pradesh.

Institutions like “UGC, AICTE and NCTE would be requiring all Central Educational Institutions, institutions deemed to be universities, technical and management institutions under AICTE and teacher education institutions under NCTE to establish a Grievance Redressal Mechanism for students and applicants for admission before the commencement of the admission this academic year”. the Union Minister for HRD Kapil Sibal said .

A release of the ministry says “Every institution would be required to constitute an Ombudsman; person with judicial or legal experience to be appointed
from a panel suggested by the affiliating university for technical and management institutions, by the Central Government for deemed universities and by the regulator for non-degree granting institutions”.

According to the ministry the detailed instruction will be issued soon. It has also asked to deliver the order within a month after the student applies for redressal of his grievances. The Ombudsman for redressal of grievances and the Ombudsman shall deliver his/her order within one month.

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The VFCCE and the WF will together identify high-impact skill development programs and provide training to teachers and other segments of the society. The memorandum was signed by Dr. Ajay Kela, President and CEO of WF and Dr. Glenn DuBois, Member, VFCCE and Chancellor of Virginia’s Community Colleges.

Strong opposition has been made by the BCI’s Chairman Ashok K. Parija today in this regard and said that the HRD Ministry is trying to put a regulator of few people on the BCI’s legal study committee, responsible for professional acumen in legal studies and general legal education in the country. The committee is headed by a retired justice of Supreme Court and comprises of sitting Chief Justice of a High Court, UGC Chairman, Law Secretary, top legal professional and five members of BCI. But the proposed new body, comprises of only seven members, including four part time and one chairman, will not only look into affairs related to legal education but also hundreds of universities and educational institutions and various courses. This is not acceptable to BCI, said Parija.

He also alleged that government had been trying to hit federal structure of the country through the bill as the power of recruitment of Vice Chancellors of the universities would be the purview of the new body according to the bill. It is notable that the bill has been introduce aiming to bring all sectors of higher education under one umbrella abolishing bodies like UGC, AICTE and other regulators.

The BCI has given a call for protest day on 20th January. According to Parija lawyers throughout the country will abstain from the courts in protest of bill and inclusion of the legal studies. It is notable that a representation of BCI called on Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid yesterday. Thereafter the BCI has moved ahead with the protest plan.

Issues like development of Hindi, Urdu and other endangered languages were also discussed in the meeting organized on the topic “Development of Indian Languages, Protection & Preservation of Endangered Languages and Classical Languages.” Members suggested to introduce four language formula to preserve and popularize our rich heritage of languages. They also suggested to provide scholarships for study of endangered languages in schools.

Emphasis was also given on the issues like to put more efforts to provide books in Indian languages, especially in Hindi, better translation, simplification of language and others. The meeting was attended by MPs like Rama Singh, Ranjan Prasad Yadav and others.