Too many regulators with too many checks won’t work: Kadiyam Srihari

​Hyderabad: Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari has said the proposed bill replacing the University Grants Commission (UGC) with the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) should address the contemporary societal needs besides improving the living standards of the people.

Addressing a brainstorming session on the HECI organised by the Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TSCHE) here on Monday, Srihari asked the Vice-Chancellors of all the state universities in Telangana, besides representatives from the industry and other stakeholders who attended the meeting to discuss the Bill in detail.

Srihari said that the Bill has 31 clauses each with a sub-clause and he wanted a discussion on every clause and their recommendations to the state government. He said there is no need to blindly reject any policy or reform. Instead, one should look at how the HECI is beneficial to the people.

But, several clauses in the Bill fail to consider key issues like the accessibility of higher education to the poor and deprived sections of society. Secondly, it takes away the rights of the states to start new universities. It talks about autonomy, but attempts are made to centralise everything.

The Deputy CM said the Centre could incorporate the same reforms within the framework of the UGC if it finds it is not working properly. Or, if it wants to bring new Act then all the stakeholders should be taken into confidence before giving effect to it, he added.

“We are doing too many experiments without waiting for their outcomes. The MHRD proposed New Education Policy (NEP) is not yet finalised. Now, it has come up with the HECI. Whether the HECI fits into NEP is not known,” he pointed out.

He said that creation of too many regulatory bodies with too many checks would not work to bring the expected outcomes. The state had established Palamuru, Mahatma Gandhi, Telangana universities keeping in view the needs of the people. If the Centre takes away this right of the states then it would be doing injustice to the states, he said.

Srihari asked the participants to discuss the consequences if any in the clauses of the Bill which might deprive the poor and deprived sections access to higher education, taking away the powers of the states.

He said that after a comprehensive discussion on the bill and its provisions the state government will submit its recommendations to the Centre by July 20. Also, if needed Members of Parliament from the state will raise the recommendations made by the state, during the discussion on the HECI in Parliament, he said.

TSCHE chairman Prof Papi Reddy, vice-chairman Venkata Ramana Limbadri, Dr BR Amedkar Open University Vice-Chancellor Prof K Sitha Rao, Members of Parliament Keshava Rao and Asaduddin Owaisi were among those who spoke at the meeting.