Shimla: State assembly, in a bill issued, has referred to a select committee to regulate private universities in Himachal Pradesh.
As per sources, opposition Congress legislators Kaul Singh Thakur, G.S. Bali and Sukwinder Singh Sukhu expressed apprehensions about the Himachal Pradesh Private Educational Institutions (Regulatory Commission) Bill to effectively check the mushrooming of poor standard private universities in the state.
Mr Thakur has said that the decision of the government to introduce the bill to regulate private educational institutions was a welcome step, but from the bill draft it seemed that the government was in haste to introduce it. He also added that there are several loopholes in the bill that need to be addressed properly.
The bill introduced in the state assembly on August 19 provides for establishing a commission vested with powers to monitor and regulate fee structure of private universities and ensure that admissions are based on merit and national or state-level common entrance tests.
In addition, the commission shall enforce rules, regulations and guidelines issued by various regulatory bodies and the government. It would be empowered to even recommend closure of an institution in case it fails to meet the standards.
In case of infringement of any rule, regulation and non-implementation of its directions, the commission will have the power to impose a penalty not exceeding Rs 1 crore for the first offence and up to Rs 5 crore for subsequent offences.
