New Delhi: In his mission of Reform in Education system, the Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal has come again with a relief-gift to students. On Friday i.e. March 19, 2010, the Union Cabinet cleared the Prohibition of Unfair Practices Bill, 2010. According to the Bill, charging capitation fees (by educational institutions) will be a punishable offence, from hereafter. The punishment can vary from monetary penalty to fine and imprisonment. Authorities hinted that the jail term could extend up to three years.
In schools, a student is charged capitation fee at the time of admission, for the services provided by the institution in its campus/premises. The fee is often taken in a disguised manner. The HRD Minister has argued about disclosing all the real charges, at the time of admission. The Ministry has already cleared the proposal of setting up the tribunals for solving related cases at state level. That would be headed by the tribunal’s setup at national level.
Further, the HRD ministry is planning to bring the Educational Tribunal Bill, 2010, in the current session of the Parliament. The ministry informed that the cabinet has cleared the National Accreditation Regulatory Authority Bill, 2010. The aim of setting up this Regulatory Authority will be to assess and accredit every higher educational institution in India.
