New apex panel on higher education soon, says Sibal

September 28th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal Monday asked the Catholic clergy to help the government in shaping the three pillars of education - "expansion, inclusion and excellence". Inaugurating the five-day triennial national assembly of the Conference of Religious India (CRI) here in which more than 550 major superiors of about 360 Catholic religious orders are participating, Sibal said there was still a lot to be done for people's education.

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 31st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal Monday announced that vice-chancellors of universities in the country would be appointed by a collegium headed by an eminent person equivalent to a Nobel laureate, and not the central or state government. Sibal told reporters here: "The collegium will consist of 30 to 40 people headed by an eminent personality, lets say a Nobel laureate.

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.

July 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal will inaugurate a one-day meeting of principal secretaries/secretaries of higher education and technical education of State Governments and Union Territories here today. This annual conference has on its agenda different subjects within higher and technical education such as the National Mission of Education through ICT and matters related to polytechnics under coordinated action for skill development.

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 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 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 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal Friday said the government was considering allowing new autonomous colleges to be set up independent of universities but with stringent quality parameters. 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." Elaborating on his idea, Sibal told IANS: "Right now, there is no institution that starts as an autonomous college.

July 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - In a bid to check the drop out rate in higher education, the Centre would launch Madhyam Shiksha Abhiyan programme as part of the proposed education reforms. "We want to take Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan forward as Madhyam Shiksha Abhiyan as the drop out rate increases in higher education," Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said during Question Hour in the parliament.

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 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government plans to establish an independent accreditation authority to rate schools, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said here Thursday. "At present there is no accreditation policy on schools.

June 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Stating that the government was committed to improve and reform education standards in India, Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal said Wednesday an apex panel on higher education will be formed soon. The autonomous National Commission for Higher Education and Research, which will encompass in itself the existing professional councils and regulatory agencies, including the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Medical Council of India and the AICTE, will be formed within the first 100 days of the new government, Sibal told reporters.

June 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India and the US will set up a joint working group to boost bilateral relation in the field of education, it was announced Thursday after a meeting between Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal and the US Under Secretary William J. Burns. The group will be headed by Sibal and US Secretary of Education, and it will meet once a year alternately in India and the US.

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.