Chennai: On January 3, 2011, Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal has said that the central government is planning to introduce code of conduct for central universities. The aim of launching code of conduct is to bring about transparency and autonomy with accountability through self-regulation, he added.
Further, Mr. Sibal said that the ministry recognizes that universities have their own culture, nuances and sensitivities and they also need to be cautious while offering their facilities for commercial use. He said this at the inaugural session of the 98th Indian Science Congress in Chennai. In addition, he said that they now need to make a beginning.
Furthermore, Kapil Sibal added that they plan to introduce a code of conduct initially to be adopted by the central universities, and later perhaps by state universities and others, to facilitate flexibility and autonomy in the university system. Besides, he clarified that the code aims to bring about efficiency, transparency and autonomy with accountability through self-regulation.
While explaining, Mr. Sibal said that it envisages a set of standards of accountable behavior, both at the individual and institutional level that can foster competence and excellence in the university system with the minimum of internal and/or external interference. In addition, he underlined the need for a new standard of higher education and said that they have to prepare learners to be contributors to knowledge generation and not just mere passive recipients of knowledge.
Moreover, Mr. Kapil Sibal said that this will not only develop human capital but also social capital that will enable the youth to work and compete globally. This then is the challenge for them, he added. He also added that to meet this challenge the Ministry is working on the concept of having Navratna Universities or an Indian Ivy League. In this regard, he said that they intend to nurture these selected universities, like the public sector Navratnas, by generous financial support, freedom in accessing external funding and total autonomy so as to free them from the shackles of government control.
