Government plans three universities for minorities

October 7th, 2009 NEW DELHI - If you want to study in the US and want to know how to go about it, visit an education fair in the capital Thursday in which 15 American universities are participating. That would help.

September 30th, 2009 CHENNAI - Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Wednesday urged the government to earmark 50 percent of the seats in central universities for students from rural areas.

September 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - In view of the special status of State of Jammu and Kashmir, the Central Government has decided to establish, as a special dispensation, two appropriate Central Universities in the State - one in Jammu region and another in the Kashmir Valley. It is expected that this will meet the regional aspirations in the State.

September 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Public Private Partnership (PPP) model is being looked at for some of the Innovation Universities that are to be set up by the Government (the 11th Five Year Plan proposes the establishment of 14 such universities aimed at world class standards). The Government is already in the process of involving a PPP model in school education, said Union Minister for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal while meeting with Minister for Trade, Investment and Business of the United Kingdom, Lord Mervyn Davies.

August 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday said the government was fully committed to the well-being of the minorities and had started many schemes for their welfare. We do not subscribe to the view that to take special care of the deprived sections of the society amounts to appeasement.

July 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal Friday said the government is considering setting up autonomous colleges independent of universities. Addressing a meeting of principal secretaries and secretaries of higher education from various states here, Sibal said: "The government is thinking in terms of allowing the setting up of autonomous colleges." The minister's day-long interaction with the officials was his first initiative to evolve a consensus of the states for reforms in the education sector.

July 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Wednesday said that communalism should not be the agenda of education. Initiating a debate on the Demands for Grants for the human resource development (HRD) ministry in the Lok Sabha, former HRD minister and BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi alleged that his successor Arjun Singh tried to play a communal card in order to please the minorities.

July 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid Monday said the existing Companies Act did not empower the government to ask the private sector for providing minorities with jobs. "Despite this, the government has started the process of developing a common perspective on the issue of voluntary affirmative action by the corporate sector," Khurshid said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.

July 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Minister of State for Human Resource and Development D Purandeswari on Monday informed the Lok Sabha that University Grants Commission (UGC) has started reviewing the functioning of deemed universities on a government direction. Purandeswari also said that HRD ministry has ordered an evaluation of the functioning of the deemed universities by an independent team of experts, which has been separately nominated by the government.

July 7th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government is probing the "spurt" in permissions granted for setting up deemed universities and examining whether they are following the norms laid down for them, Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal said Tuesday. "We have set up a committee.

July 7th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The University Grants Commission has allowed deemed universities to eliminate 'deemed' from their name, and identify themselves as universities, minister of state for higher education D Purandeswari on Tuesday said. Purandeswari told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply that the UGC has granted the use of term 'University' for such institutions.

June 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Australia's universities have joined the Australian Government in condemning the recent attacks on Indian students living in Australia. Dr Glenn Withers, Chief Executive of Universities Australia, the peak body representing 38 of Australia's universities, expressed his sincere regret at the reports of attacks on Indian students studying in Australia.

June 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Australian universities Wednesday joined their government in condemning the attacks on Indian students in that country. Glen Withers, the chief executive of Universities Australia - a body representing 38 universities, expressed regret at the attacks on Indian students.

April 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - At least 15 more central universities, in addition to the existing 20, will be set up and start functioning from next year, the government said Thursday. The decision was taken at a two-day conference here during which vice-chancellors of the 15 new central universities presented their plans before the University Grants Commission (UGC) - the regulator of these institutions.

January 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government will issue an ordinance to create 12 new central universities, it was announced here Friday. 'This is being done because the bill to create the universities could not be passed in parliament (in the session that concluded last month),' Home Minister P.