• 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.

... contd.