The formula will be used to quantify deprivation of various kinds to introduce affirmative action and make higher education as “inclusive” as possible.

This is apart from the existing reservation for SC/ST and Backward classes.

The Deprivation Index proposes to look at the “social background, caste, religion and gender, family education history, family income, type of school, place of residence (distinguishing between urban and rural areas, and accounting for regional deprivation) and physical disability.”

Set up in August 2005, the Knowledge Commission was in the news when the matter of reservation in IITs, IIMs and private educational institutions for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) had split the Commission and resulted in two resignations in May. However, the report submitted to the Prime Minister last month makes a case for viable affirmative action, apart from reservations, and has an entire section dedicated to “Inclusion” of the socially disadvantaged sections.

The 27-page report of the six-member commission headed by Sam Pitroda describes the “quiet crisis” in higher education as one that runs “deep.”

The other significant recommendations:

• An Independent Regulatory Authority for Higher Education (IRAHE) should be set up to look at setting and ensuring standards. (The IRAHE would effectively take away regulation of higher education from the Human Resource Development Ministry.) The IRAHE should be set up by an act of Parliament, with a chairman and six members, with six- year terms.

• Foreign educational institutions should be allowed in with policies that ensure that “there is an incentive for good institutions and a disincentive for sub-standard institutions to come to India”. It also clearly proposes that a “level-playing field must be ensured and all rules that apply to domestic institutions should also be applicable to foreign institutions.”

• More private funding is inevitable if goals of an inclusive knowledge society are to be met by 2025. It suggests even allowing universities to use their assets (including large unutilised land resources) autonomously to get more funds.

• Institutions must be set up using public-private partnerships; “Not just more IITs and IIMs but also more universities, as public-private partnerships where the government provides the land and the private sector provides the finances.” The Report goes onto add that such public-private partnerships would “promote university-industry interface which would also strengthen teaching and research.”

• While government funds would continue to be the “cornerstone”, universities should be allowed “to decide the level of their fees but as a norm, fees should meet at least 20 per cent of the total expenditure in universities - subject to the fact that needy students should be provided with a fee-waiver plus scholarships to meet their costs”; essentially, saying that those who can, must pay, and those who cannot, must not be denied admissions but be provided scholarships.

The Commerce Ministry’s proposal to allow foreign universities had run into difficulty with the Left parties arguing that there was no proper regulatory mechanism. But the new proposal may be tough to contest as it insists on regulation and ensuring a level-playing field.

The report expresses concern at the fact that only 7 per cent of the age group between 18-24 years in India enters higher education. This, observes the report, is “only half the average for Asia.”

The Report discusses a “systematic overhaul” and the “need to educate much larger numbers without diluting academic standards.” The document may be made public after the full Commission meets PM Manmohan Singh on January 12 to discuss the report.

Knowledge Commission's prescription

• Affirmative action with a Deprivation Index formula to assess backwardness

• Independent Regulatory Authority for Higher Education

• Foreign educational institutions should be allowed

• Allow universities to use their assets (including land) to raise funds.

•l Set up institutions using public-private partnerships