The Hindu : Move to allow foreign varsities opposed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 27, 2002

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Move to allow foreign varsities opposed

By Our Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI Sept. 26. A deemed university in Tamil Nadu has strongly opposed the Centre's attempts "to open the doors of the country to foreign universities under the pretext of globalisation but at the same time strangulating private institutes in India''.

In a letter sent to the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, the Vice-Chancellor of the Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology and Research Academy, R. Sethuraman, said there should be a level playing field for all the institutes in India (whether foreign or Indian) without any discrimination.

Responding to the Centre's proposal to set up a committee to streamline admissions in undergraduate programmes leading to professional qualifications in the country, Prof. Sethuraman said that as the 11-judge Bench of Supreme Court had reserved judgment in the `minorities case', any scheme framed at this stage would not be useful but would be counterproductive and might result in avoidable litigation.

(The main objective of the committee is to review the existing arrangements for admissions in undergraduate programmes and recommend a system of admission and counselling that is in the interest of students and their parents, avoids multiplicity, is fair and transparent and ensures high standards of professional education in the country).

Prof. Sethuraman said the HRD Minister had admitted in Parliament that Rs. 2,000 crores was being siphoned off in a year by foreign universities. On the other hand, the Government was trying to open the doors of the country to foreign universities.

He wanted the committee to await the outcome of the apex court verdict before deciding in this matter. "At the same time, he suggested that the committee include some representatives from institutes for whom the selection process was being contemplated."

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