New Delhi: Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal Monday introduced the Foreign Education Institutions (Regulation of Entry And Operations) Bill 2010 in the Lok Sabha amid strong protests by Left MPs.
The bill seeks "to regulate entry and operation of foreign educational institutions imparting or intending to impart higher education (including technical education and award of degree, diploma and equivalent qualifications by such institutions)".
"The enactment of a legislation regulating entry and operation of all the foreign educational institutions is necessary to maintain the standards of higher education within the country as well to protect the interest of the students and in public interest," Sibal said in a statement of the bill`s objects and reasons.
"A number of foreign educational institutions have been operating in the country and some of them may be resorting to various malpractices to allure and attract students," the minister said, noting that there is "no comprehensive and effective policy for regulation on the operations of all the foreign educational institutions in the country".
"Due to lack of policy or regulatory regime it has been very difficult to make meaningful assessment of the operations of the foreign educational institutions and absence of such meaningful assessment has given rise to chances of adoption of various unfair practices besides commercialisation," he said.
At present, only the All India Council for Technical Education has notified regulations for entry and operation of foreign universities and institutions to impart technical education in India.
The bill provides that the foreign educational institution "shall not impart education in India unless it is recognised and notified by the central government as a foreign education provider under the proposed legislation".
It provides that the foreign educational institution shall offer and impart education in conformity with the standards laid down by the statutory authority, and is of quality comparable.
The bill provides that "the central government may refuse to recognise and notify a foreign educational institution as foreign education provider if it is not in the interest of sovereignty, integrity of India, the security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency or morality or sensitivity of location of the foreign educational institutions".
IANS
