NCHER gets Cabinet nod

The government on Tuesday gave its nod for the establishment of National Commission of Higher Education and Research (NCHER), an overarching body in higher education to oversee universities and technical institutes.

The NCHER will subsume all existing regulatory bodies, includingUGC,AICTEand Council of Distance Education.

The Union Cabinet's approval paves way for introduction of Higher Education and Research Bill in Parliament shortly.

According to sources, the Bill is a step forward to promote autonomy of higher educational institutions.

The body, according to them, will comprise 70 members, with representatives from every state and regulatory bodies.

The proposal for the establishment of the NCHER has its origin in the address of the President to Parliament on June, 4, 2009 where the government declared its intent to establish an overarching body in higher education to reform the current regulatory structure.

The proposal was based on the recommendations of the National Knowledge Commission and Prof Yash Pal Committee.

Prof Yash Pal Committee had recommended NCHER to replace the existing regulatory bodies.

NCHER will cover all areas and disciplines, including general, technical and professional education, and according to sources, also some research components in the field of medicine.

Earlier, the setting up of NCHER had ran into rough weather when the HRD ministry announced taking over the medical education under the bill.

The health ministry had opposed it and approached the cabinet for clearance of National Commission for Human Resources for Health (NCHRH) Bill.

- WIth PTI inputs