Foreign universities ready for affirmative programmes: Kapil Sibal

Reservation laws may not be applicable for the foreign universities aspiring to set up campuses here, but they are ready to carry out affirmative programmes for children of the weaker section, HRD minister Kapil Sibal said today.

"Whichever foreign educational institution has spoken to me, has said 'we in our country carry out affirmative programmes. When we are in India, we will certainly carry out those affirmative programmes'," Sibal told Karan Thapar in India Tonight programme.

The cabinet this week passed the Foreign Educational Institution (Regulation of Entry and Operation) Bill, 2010, which seeks to allow the foreign educational providers to set up campuses in India and regulate their operations.

Sibal said the aspiring institutions are sensitive to the issue of affirmative action even though reservation laws may not be applicable to them as they will be considered as private education providers. 

There is no reservation law for the private education providers in the country currently. 

Sibal hoped the new law could be put in place by the end of this year. He said the bill would be introduced in Parliament in April.

The bill would go to a Standing Committee after it is introduced in Parliament. 

"By December 2010, this could be a law. I believe so. You should be prepared by the next academic session to implement it," Sibal said.

According to him, there are a number of foreign institutions aspiring to be associated with the education sector here. But not necessarily all of them will set up campuses. Some of them are interested for collaboration, while a few are interested for joint research with Indian institutes. Some are interested for skill development and vocational training, he said.

Sibal said a number of Ivy League universities are also interested to come. Yale is interested for collaboration, he said, adding Boston University is extremely keen to come in some form.

The foreign education providers can operate in India as FDI is allowed in education. But the new law will regulate their operations. At present, 69 foreign education providers are functioning in India.

These universities will decide their own fee as they will be considered as private universities. However, their fee could be much less than the fee they charge in their respective countries, Sibal said.

"It is because the cost of infrastructure and other things is less in India," he said. 

In a way it will help students to get education and degree at a much cheaper price from a foreign university which would have cost them hugely if they had travelled to those countries for the same courses, Sibal said.

"Lot of Indian students are unable to pay USD 60,000 or 70,000. If you pay USD 60,000 in the US, you can get the same education at USD 20,000 or USD 15,000 or even at USD 10,000. People may not go abroad but study here," he said.

Sibal ruled out concerns raised over poaching of teachers by the foreign institutions. 

He said the attrition rate in IITs is nearly nil despite a lot of private institutes functioning in the country. He said job security and perks given to IIT teachers may not be matched by the foreign universities.

He said the foreign institutes will not be allowed to repatriate surplus generated from education activities in India. "If we feel that services are paid or being paid in an indirect fashion for the purpose of repatriating money, we will certainly look at that issue."

But the all foreign education providers will have get accredited by the proposed National Accreditation Authority for quality control. Their entry will bring revolution in terms of quality, he said. It will have enormous impact on research and creation of Intellectual Property.