By IANS
New Delhi : Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh Monday indicated that his ministry would soon regulate those educational institutes that are charging “exorbitant fees” from students.
“Affordability should not be a barrier to avail of education,” Singh said after inaugurating an international education conference in the national capital.
“We know a lot of institutes are charging exorbitant prices for their courses. This needs to be regulated,” he said, indirectly referring to many private institutes that charge thousands of rupees from students.
Speaking at the ‘Emerging Directions in Global Education’ Conference, Singh said private-public partnership in higher education is a very good idea, but so far “private fund has been a constraint”.
On higher education in India, he said: “Indian higher education has grown rapidly over the last few years in pursuit of our vision 2020.”
However, there is a long way to go and the key to India’s aspirations (in higher education) lies in “innovative thinking, teachers’ training and technology”.
Emphasising the role of trained teachers, Singh said: “Only trained teachers can produce good students.”
“Unless we improve our education in elementary and secondary level, we cannot improve the higher education system,” he stressed.
“The government is committed to the cause of reform, equity and quality in education. Vocational training and employability should also be our focus while imparting education,” the minister added.
The three-day symposium will see several experts from India and abroad deliberate on higher education.
Eminent space scientist K. Kasturirangan hailed the 20 percent increase in the union budget for education this year.
Ramdas M. Pai, chairman of Manipal Education, said: “India needs to increase the opportunities for higher, professional and skilled education for a large number of young and aspiring students.”