Regulatory Bodies in Education Zero Tolerance for Corruption

Regulatory Bodies in Education Zero Tolerance for Corruption

Written by

PROF. M.A. HAQUE

Published on

August 12, 2022

It is praiseworthy that the present Central Government has taken cognizance of the virus of corruption which is eating into the vitals of the country. Under the leadership of Dr. Manmohan Singh, the government has asked all the ministries to take prompt action against all complaints related to corruption. The government has now declared zero tolerance on graft.

The government is aggressively pursuing reforms in various sectors, particularly in education sector which is perceived to be subject to maximum corruption whether in the context of donations from the guardians of aspirants at the time of admission or earlier the institutions themselves paying hefty amounts to seek the needed recognition from the relevant regulatory body competent to grant it or allow increased intake or permit starting new courses.

The arrest of the chairperson of Medical Council of India (MCI), Dr. Ketan Desai on April 23 or the arrest of Mr R.A. Yadav, chairperson of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) along with some other involved officials is in pursuance of that strict policy. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) monitors the progress of the investigations in the graft cases.

 

TECHNICAL EDUCATION

In the post-independence era, the need to have more and more professionals increased by leaps and bounds. With the call for more engineers for development in various sectors such as power, roads, dams, canals, tube wells, industries of sorts, laying of railway lines, constructing docks and harbours, and targeting higher agricultural production, a large number of engineering colleges sprang up. Thus came the need to bring some standards of uniformity in the syllabus prescribed for different courses by regulating them after checking infrastructure and strength of staff, etc. and granting recognition to the colleges.

In these circumstances AICTE came up in due course of time. It is the apex organisation in the country to oversee the technical education system and to ensure its proper planning and coordinated development as well as maintenance of norms and standards. Its area of operation covers programmers of technical education, including training and research in engineering and technology, architecture, town planning, management, pharmacy, hotel management, catering technology, applied arts and crafts, etc.

 

MEDICAL EDUCATION

For a sufficiently long period after independence, there was no windfall in the number of medical colleges or the number of seats therein. Our country was lagging in availability of doctors as per the norms to ensure sound health to the people. With increase in industrial activity and resultant pollution, changed lifestyles and affluence, people faced health hazards on an increasing scale. Hence the need for new medical colleges.

As the government could not afford to set up and run medical colleges on desired large scale or increased turnout of medical doctors, some private parties came forward and set up their own medical colleges. Here again with the need of maintaining norms and standards of education, MCI came into existence to regulate medical education in India, working under Union Ministry of Health and Family Affairs.

 

HIGH ESTEEM

People have the notion that a degree in engineering, architecture, medicine or management is a passport to a comfortable living. Many people envy the affluent lifestyle of these professionals. As such they try to get their wards admitted to these institutions even by paying donation of heavy amounts; it may vary from institution to institution depending on its name and fame; it may be of the order of 30-40 lakhs for an MBBS seat. The donation for an engineering seat is far less because of engineering colleges being much more in numbers compared with the number of medical colleges. It is well known that fees for management courses are quite high. In such scenario, it is no wonder that huge amount running in crores of rupees in the form of bank accounts, benami property and properties in many cities in the name of spouse and self, fixed deposit receipts, national saving certificates and shares, etc. were found in the raids on the residences and offices of these high profile personalities. No doubt, these persons had spectacular academic records, technical/medical competence, administrative acumen, guts and high connections which could have been better utilised in serving the countrymen through their organisations. But they simply didn’t.

 

FUTURE OF DR. DESAI

Dr. Ketan Desai, besides being President of MCI and many other organisations, was president-elect of World Medical Association (WMA) a representative body of about eight million doctors, the first Indian to have made to this coveted post, unanimously. A representative body of doctors of more than 100 countries, it was a great honour for Dr. Desai and India too. If he had not been arrested on April 23 in the case of accepting bribe of Rs 2 crores to grant recognition to Gyan Sagar Medical College, he would have taken over as president of WMA in October 2010. Now WMA will meet in France on May 20 to decide on his fate. Most likely the Council may opt for re-election as the whole matter is under active consideration, according to Mr. Nigel Duncan, public relation consultant of WMA.

It is noteworthy that it is not for the first time that Dr Desai is being probed. In 2002 he was similarly charged. Now he is all set to lose his FRCS (the Fellowship of Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh).

 

GOVT’S FUTURE PLANS

The PM’s plan stipulates an overarching body to regulate education. The Human Resources Development Ministry and Health Ministry have been asked to do the needful to set up these regulatory bodies. Accordingly, the new National Council for Human Resources in Health (NCHRH) will be formed to regulate and determine standards for health and medical education and provide a framework for regulating human resources in this sector by including dental, medical, nursing, pharmacy and rehabilitation councils of India. Likewise, the HRD ministry will set up the National Commission for Higher Education and Research, which would be an overarching body for overseeing higher education and preparing and implementing norms for setting up institutions in engineering and allied disciplines.

Let us hope the corruption will be brought down to some extent; its total or near total eradication is not possible till man instils fear of God in his heart and adopts high moral standard of life. So long as single point agenda is earning money, through fair or/and foul means, there is no escape from the monster of corruption which has become blood thirsty and claiming recourses of the country.