Bills to regulate private sector in education in the offing

Asserting that education cannot be allowed to become a "money-spinning enterprise", home minister P Chidambaram today said the Centre would bring forward bills in Parliament to regulate the private sector in the field of education.

Chidambaram said as education for children is uppermost in the minds of every Indian family, it had led to mushrooming of institutions, "which cannot be avoided in this transition."

"But we cannot allow them to become money-spinners and education a money-spinning enterprise," he said in his address at the Loyola World Alumni Congress 2010 in Chennai.

Observing that there was no "over regulation" of the private sector, he said some regulation was "indeed necessary, some to ensure quality of education and others to ensure values are being imparted."

"That is why, there are a number of bills to regulate," he said.

Expressing concern over "hatred" between persons of different communities, Chidambaram wondered how it all started.

Recalling the 2007-08 communal clashes in Orissa's Kandhamal district, he said after taking over as Home Minister post the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, he took up the "challenge" of protecting the affected minority Christians there.

While he had asked chief minister Naveen Patnaik to ensure the return of displaced persons to celebrate Christmas in 2008 and complete return of all by the next year, the first task was achieved.

"In 2009, almost all returned and the settling of the rest is in progress," he said.

He said secularism and tolerance were important for the country and urged educational institutions to impart these values to students. He also lauded the Jesuits for their contribution in the field of education.

Chidambaram said great universities and educational institutions can thrive only if their alumni gave back to them something and this was now happening in India, even in the case of IITs.

The minister earlier went down memory lane, and recalled his PUC days and how he managed to get admission in one of the premier institutions "without recommendation, donation or capitation fee."

Recalling his nine-month pre-university course (PUC) stint in Loyola College, he said that while the college was established by Christian missionaries, the bulk of the students were Hindus, with a significant number of Muslims too.

"There was no feeling of difference among students either in this college or others in Chennai run by missionaries. We had a plural society and we will continue to have one," he said.