New Delhi: Asserting that education would
remain a not-for-profit sector, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal Wednesday
made it clear that government will never allow profiteering in
education that would go as dividends to the share holders.
"Let us be clear that Indian businessmen, who probably
because of meltdown do not get profit anywhere, want to get
profit out of education. I, as a minister, will stand as a
rock to ensure it does not happen," he said.
Sibal was speaking at an interactive session on 'Changing
face of Indian education', organised here by FICCI Ladies
Organisation.
He said educational institutions can make profit, which
has to be ploughed back to the institution for its
development.
"But we cannot risk the career of students to the fortune
of stock market. We cannot allow profit going back to the
share holders as dividend," Sibal said to a question on why
the government should not allow education to become a
profiteering business segment.
He emphatically said that no country in the world allows
profiteering in education.
"Which country allows making profit from education? No
country. Harvard is a trust, Yale is a trust. Stanford is a
trust. Mr Stanford is not known for his business, but for his
philanthropy," the minister said.
About the ministry's expectation from the coming Union
budget, Sibal said the government gives huge priority to
education and allocation will not be "disappointing".
He said investment in education is key to creation of
knowledge which will ultimately translate into wealth and
lamented that about 88 per cent of the children, who enrol in
schools, do not reach universities.
The government wants to bring in a new higher education
regime under which new universities will be given recognition
once they create facilities for research and innovation, Sibal
said.
He said foreign educational institutions are interested in
creation of knowledge and they would come here when an
appropriate environment is created.
Sibal favoured changes in the teaching methods and
examination system.
To a question on opposition to the semester system in
certain universities, he said such problems are faced when
there is a change in the system.
Sibal said the government is a preparing a policy to
facilitate use of existing school buildings by private sector
for skill development and training.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 16:14