Parliamentary panel for consultations on educational tribunals bill
By IANSFriday, August 20, 2010
NEW DELHI - As the human resource development ministry seeks to establish education tribunals across the country, a parliamentary panel has urged wider consultations with all stakeholders before parliament debates the measure.
In its report to parliament, the standing committee on the human resource development ministry pointed out that consultations have not been undertaken either with the states and private educational institutions on The Educational Tribunals Bill, 2010, tabled in the Lok Sabha during the budget session of parliament.
“The committee is of view that education being a concurrent subject, the proposal for setting up state education tribunals needed a wider consultation process involving all the state and union territory governments,” the report said.
“With only very few states having formally supported the proposed bill and in the absence of any opposition from a majority of the states and union territories, their presumed support does not seem to be very convincing,” it said.
The bill provides for the establishment of educational tribunals “for effective and expeditious adjudication of disputes involving teachers and other employees of higher educational institutions and other stake holders (including students, universities, institutions and statutory regulatory authorities) and to adjudicate penalties for indulging in unfair practices in higher education and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto”.
The committee also underlined that there was no consultation with central universities and private institutions.
The committee however welcomed the meassure, stating that it was desired in the present scenario as the education sector grows.
“The phenomenal growth of higher education institutions, specifically in the private sector, with new diversifying courses emerging in the recent past has no doubt resulted indirectly in the disturbing increase in number of court cases,” the report said.
“Against this backdrop, the committee welcomes the proposed legislation for setting up dedicated tribunals for resolving disputes,” it added.
