Concerns in HECI as the Regulator

What is the issue?

• Government proposes to replace the University Grants Commission (UGC) with a Higher Education Commission of India.

• The proposal raises many concerns and has many unanswered questions.

What are the concerns?

• Role - The role of HECI in relation to professional bodies is unclear.
• Depriving the HECI completely of funding functions may affect its efficacy.
• It may affect its stature in discharging its onerous responsibility.
• Funding - The MHRD has been directly funding more than a hundred institutions of national importance.
• It includes Indian Institutes of Technology, National Institutes of Technology, Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research.
• Funding 47 Central universities should not pose a problem for the ministry.
• However, funding scheme for the State universities needs to be clearly worked out.
• This is because they account for more than 50% of the student enrolment.
• A clear and transparent mechanism should be spelt out if it is to be funded through the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan.
• Besides, the effective role of HECI in regulating state institutions needs attention.
• Autonomy - Certain new initiatives are proposed recently in the higher education sector.
• This includes granting near complete autonomy to the Indian Institutes of Management.
• It also includes providing graded autonomy to other institutions.
• Besides, more institutions are encouraged to move out of the regulatory ambit to develop into institutes of excellence.
• Given these, the role of HECI as an overarching regulator has to be reassessed.

• Structure - HECI will have a chairperson, vice-chairperson and 12 members.
• The secretary of the HECI will be an officer of the rank of joint secretary and above.
• S/he could also be a reputed academic and will serve as its member-secretary.
• Will the secretary have voting rights or not as a member is unanswered.
• Also, government has overwhelming power to remove the chairperson and members.
• Secretary - The secretary is expected to play multiple roles:

1. acting as a member of the HECI
2. serving as a member of search-cum-selection committee of the chairperson and vice-chairperson
3. processing their appointment as a key functionary of the government

• Such multiplicity of roles may create difficulties and conflict of interest.

Source: The Hindu