New Delhi: The government on Wednesday introduced a
Bill in the Rajya Sabha for establishment of the National
Commission for Higher Education and Research (NCHER), an
overarching body in higher education to oversee universities
and technical institutes.
The Higher Education and Research Bill, 2011, introduced
by Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, seeks to
promote autonomy of higher educational institutions and
universities for free pursuit of knowledge and innovation.
The NCHER will subsume all existing regulatory bodies,
including UGC, AICTE and Council of Distance Education.
The Bill also provides for comprehensive and integrated
growth of higher education and research keeping in view the
global standard of educational and research practices.
The body may comprise 70 members, with representatives
from every state and regulatory bodies.
The proposal for the establishment of the NCHER has its
origin in the address of the President to Parliament on June,
4, 2009 where the government declared its intent to establish
an overarching body in higher education to reform the current
regulatory structure.
The proposal was based on the recommendations of the
National Knowledge Commission and Prof Yash Pal Committee.
Prof Yash Pal Committee had recommended NCHER to replace the
existing regulatory bodies.
NCHER will cover all areas and disciplines, including
general, technical and professional education, and also some
research components in the field of medicine.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, December 28, 2011, 20:44