New Delhi: In good news for students, the
government has decided to have a grievance redressal mechanism
in higher educational institutions.
The mechanism, which is likely to come into effect from
the coming academic session, will require every institute to
constitute an ombudsman, said HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, adding
it will be implemented through an executive order.
Students of both management and technical institutes,
central and deemed-to-be universities will benefit from it
apart from teachers of education institutions under National
Council of Teachers Education.
The ombudsman shall deliver order within one month.
Though the order would not be binding on the institution, the
regulator would rely on the frequency of non-observance of the
order to decide on continued recognition to such institutions,
said a statement of the ministry.
"The Parliamentary Standing Committee, while examining
the Bill to prohibit and punish unfair practices, had
recommended to constitute the grievance redressal mechanisms
in higher education institution," Sibal told reporters here.
The ombudsman will handle all student related grievances
except the service related issues concerning the teachers.
The ombudsman shall have the jurisdiction to hear
grievances concerning denial of admission, non-observance of
declared merit in admission and non-observance of applicable
regulations for reservation.
PTI
