Sibal meets Burns, Indo-US education council on anvil

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.

September 26th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal Saturday expressed concern over the poor enrolment from schools to colleges in India, and observed that the national average was "just above" that in the sub-Sahara African countries. "The gross enrolment ratio - that is admission of students from high school to college - in the US is 50 to 70 students per 100 whereas in the Scandinavian countries it is above 70 percent," said Sibal here Saturday.

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 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 - 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 - 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 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal Wednesday made a forceful case for private investments including from foreign universities in education, and said there would be a law to regulate these institutions. Replying to a debate in the Lok Sabha on demands for budgetary grants for his ministry, Sibal delineated his vision for development of the education sector, arguing that "all kinds of new experiments" would have to be made.

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 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Saying the government was committed to improve education standards in India, Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal said Wednesday a new apex panel on higher education will be formed soon. The 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, is likely to be formed within the first 100 days of the new government, Sibal told reporters.

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.