The Union Cabinet has cleared the tabling of the Foreign Educational Institutions Bill, 2010. Something similar also happened in 2007, in the tenure of UPA-1. But the Left?s opposition kept an earlier version of the Bill from being tabled. The Left is still digging in its heels in protest, raising the bogey of commercialisation and privatisation. But these words have lost their power to raise a panic and are now comfortably synonymous with the delivery of quality, competition and competence. This time around, given an altered numbers game in Parliament, UPA-2 can push forward what its previous avatar couldn?t. Minister Kapil Sibal has spoken of the Bill in the most glowing terms, calling it everything from a milestone that will enhance choices and benchmark quality to a catalyst for something even larger than the telecom revolution. All said and done, we can?t disagree with the minister?s optimistic worldview. Anyone who truly knows anything about the Indian growth story knows that a substantive chunk of it has been powered by well-educated engineers, managers and programmers. Yet, there are few sectors where such talent is in abundance. Whether it is the Knowledge Commission or the Yashpal Committee, experts have repeatedly emphasised the need to expand higher education. Given that this expansion is ultimately geared to meet the demands of a globalised economy, common sense dictates that it should take place within the framework of global collaboration. Welcoming foreign varsities is, therefore, a logical step in this direction.
As our columnist today argues, if our priority is competition then the colour of competition (foreign versus domestic) shouldn?t matter. Next, consider the scale of growing demand. As of now, only 12% of school-leavers in the country go to college. The target for 2020 is 30%. Consider the lakhs of Indian students who travel abroad for higher studies every year. Consider that top international universities have expressed interest in entering the Indian market once the regulatory environment becomes friendlier to them. Consider that even the best of Indian institutions are still not using technology to deliver education in ways that are becoming de rigueur elsewhere. As Sam Pitorda said at a recent Idea Exchange with The Express Group, the whole concept of education has to change in light of the information revolution. When content is available on the Internet and delivery is through multiple media, teachers have to transition into mentors. Big changes are here and coming. To be protectionist in education, when the same philosophy has been abandoned in second-level sectors, is a fool?s game.