Help government’s education efforts, Sibal asks Catholic clergy

September 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) Wednesday said it could challenge the new right to education legislation in the court if the government failed to amend it in the next session of parliament. The CBCI says clause 21 of the education law leaves scope for political interference in running of minority-run educational institutions.

September 28th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) has urged the central government to amend an education bill which, it says, leaves scope for political interference in running of minority-run educational institutions. The CBCI has objections with clause 21 of the Right to Education bill that was passed by both houses of parliament this year.

August 31st, 2009 NEW DELHI - From the current academic year, the tens of thousands of students studying in Class 10 need not burn the midnight oil or get stressed over the board exams -- the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 10 examination has been made optional. Making this announcement here late Monday evening, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters: "The CBSE Class 10 exams are optional from the 2009-10 academic year." I have said this earlier too," Sibal said after the 56th meeting of the Central Advisory Board on Education (CABE) here, attended by education ministers and officials from states.

August 31st, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Centre has called upon States for support and partnership to ensure educational reforms in the country. Addressing the inaugural session of the 56th Central Advisory Board on Education (CABE) meeting in the national capital on Monday, Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal underlined expansion, inclusion and excellence as the three underlying principles for educational reforms.

August 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal on Saturday called on the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) to create quality faculties in the field of technical education to match the growing demands. Speaking at the Convocation of IIT-Delhi, Sibal said despite growth in number of technical institutions, there had not been proportionate increase in quality graduates in the country.

August 4th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Lok Sabha Tuesday passed what Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal termed "historic" legislation providing for free and compulsory education for all children in the 6-14 age-group. This is the first time an effort had been made to universalise education in the country.

August 1st, 2009 KOLKATA - Stating that the education system in India needs to undergo a thorough change, Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal Saturday said his ministry would work towards freeing it up in the coming years. "We need to free up the education system.

July 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - State governments must give up their "chalta hai" (laid-back) attitude to improve the quality of education to take India to new heights, Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal said here Thursday. The minister said there is up to 50 percent shortage of teachers in schools in various states.

July 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Central Government is proposing to rationalize the parameters for the Mid-day Meal Scheme, as a step towards further benefiting the children covered under this scheme, according to Union Minister for Human Resource Development (HRD) Kapil Sibal. Inaugurating the conference of State Education Secretaries and Project Directors being held to review matters related to school education and literacy here today, Sibal said that while the mid-day scheme has been seen, through studies, to improve enrolment of children in school substantially, a rationalization of its parameters is now required.

July 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal Friday asked all the states to prepare a vision document within the next three months on the targets to be achieved in the higher education sector by 2020. "All state governments must prepare a vision document for higher education.

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 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal on Friday asked all state governments to provide a detailed report of their objectives in the field of higher education by 2020 within a three month deadline. "In the next three months...each state must give its vision as to what it wishes to do by 2020 in the filed of higher education," he said at a conference here attended by higher education secretaries of states," Sibal said.

July 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - A day after reinforcing job quota in faculty of the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal Thursday said the government is "committed" to reserving 25 percent seats in private schools for weaker sections. The minister said this during an interaction with officials of 30 private schools in the national capital, a ministry statement said.

June 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The UPA Government's plans to bring educational reforms drew flak from Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday which charged the Government of not taking States into confidence in the matter despite education falling in the concurrent list.enior BJP leader and former Union Human Resource Minister in the National Democratic Alliance Government, Murli Manohar Joshi, blamed the new HRD minister Kapil Sibal for not consulting the State Governments on the subject matter. "The HRD Minister is well-versed with law.

June 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal on Tuesday said the Government wants Madrassa institutions should impart professional training along with religious teachings for Muslim youths' empowerment. Sibal, however, has also stated that that the ministry would not interfere with the religious teachings in madrassas.