[Fsf-friends] Higher Education(was:Microsoft to set up university in (Bangalore)city)

[Vikram Vincent]

Hello,
I thought that I'd put forward some of the important points I've been going
through on the issue.

The Kothari commission of 1964 correctly elucidates the basic objectives and
functions of universities and their role in national life: "A university
stands for humanism, for tolerance, for reason, for the adventure of ideas
and for the search of truth. It stands for the onward march of the human
race towards even higher objectives. If the universities discharge their
duties adequately, then it is well with the nation and the people... Their
principal object is to deepen man's understanding of the universe and
himself - in body mind and spirit, to disseminate this understanding
throughout society and to apply it in the service of mankind... They are the
dwelling places of ideas and idealism, and expect high standards of conduct
and integrity from all the members.. Theirs is the pursuit of truth and
excellence in all its diversity"
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The Dr. S Radhakrishnan Commission suggested that the Govt. spending on
education (Immediately after Independence) should be as follows:
6% of GDP, 10% of Central budget. Additional we need around 30% of State
budget.
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"The public spending - Central and State - on higher education has indeed
been low, amounting to less than half a per cent of GDP over the last two
decades, even though the Govt. itself targets a spending rate of 1.5% of
GDP."
"Normally, obtaining and adopting the nomenclature "university" in India has
its regulatory implications. Section 2(f) of the UGC Act, 1956, defines a
University to mean an institution established or incorporated by or under a
Central Act, a Provincial Act or a State Act. Going by this section, for an
institution to identify itself as a university in India, it would have to be
set up by a Central or provincial legislative Act."
"There is one other route to university status. based on the recommendations
of the Radhakrishna Commission a provision was included under section 3 in
the UGC Act that institutions which have a distinct character of their own
could be deemed to be a university and enjoy the concomitant privileges
without losing their distinctive character."
......
"While foreign providers can use these routes to obtain university status,
there are two implications they would have to take into account. First,
since a university has either to be established by an Act or be deemed to be
an university by th University Grants Commission, they would be subject to
the regulatory system for formal "universities" as it evolves through the
interventions by the executive and the judiciary. There cannot be a
framework that applies to foreign universities which is any less regulatory
or more open than what applies to domestic private universities."
"This environment may undermine the fundamental objective driving foreign
entry... In their search for profit and repatriation, they are bound to make
a case under the ongoing GATS negotiation... "
--C.P . Chandrashekar,"A foreign hand"
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Socio-cultural implications

The report of the 'Policy Perspective Seminar On Internationalisation Of
Higher Education And Operation Of Foreign Universities In India' states:
"Though this idea sounds well and high, but in practice it might as well
result in selected flow of information/knowledge and skills from one set of
countries to another set of countries in one direction whether in single or
multi-disciplines subjects. If this happens then it might as well result in
draining of resources of receiving country as well as strong cultural and
political influences by one set of countries on other set of countries."
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There is a bit on conditions for entry and functioning but more on that
later.

Regards
Vincent