More autonomy for colleges

Abhish K Bose Delhi

HRD Minister Kapil Sibal at a function in Delhi emphasized on the extent at which engineering research is impacting country's economic growth. He said that only one per cent of the engineering graduates are doing further research in their respective fields. "This should be accelerated to 10 per cent," Sibal said. Sibal stressed on the need to put an end to the affiliation system and said, "The colleges should be able to stand by themselves and ought to get more freedom. The universities depend on colleges for revenue." Sibal opined that this pattern be scrapped and good colleges must be given autonomy. Sibal also released Engineering Education in India by Ranjan Banargee and Vinayak P Muley at Observer Research Foundation. 

The minister stressed that the business community in India should come out to invest in the education sector. It is only then that the present scenario can change. Recalling the role private companies played in the education sector in US, he asserted that the government is keen on ensuring appropriate atmosphere for assembling academicians and business groups for the same.

 "Out of the 220 million students joining schools only 26 million go to colleges. The rest are not even getting higher education and this should be the primary concern," he said.