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Lok Sabha Debates

Discussion On The Motion For Consideration Of The National Institutes Of ... on 21 July, 2016

Sixteenth Loksabha an> Title:    Discussion on the motion for consideration of the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2016, moved by Shri. Prakash Javadekar.

 

HON. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Now, we will take up Item No.11. 

THE MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR): I beg to move:

“That the Bill further to amend the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research Act, 2007, be taken into consideration.”             I want to give a brief outline of what the Bill is. देश में शिक्षा में सबको आस्था है। इस सदन के इस ओर से ले कर यहां तक हरेक का एक विषय में अगर इंट्रेस्ट है तो वह शिक्षा में है, क्योंकि हर घर को छूने वाला, हर व्यक्ति को छूने वाला शिक्षा एक विषय है। इसलिए प्रधान मंत्री जी की नीति है कि सबको शिक्षा और अच्छी शिक्षा मिले, that is, education accessibility, quality, affordability and accountability – all four. उसके लिए नैशनल इंस्टीटय़ुट्स की बहुत मांग है।       

They represent everything, all that we stand for. They are quality educational institutes. They are regarded as the best. The result is 100 per cent placement. Not only that, it is affordable also. एक्चुअली हर किसी का दिल चाहता है कि सभी को इतनी एफोर्डेबल शिक्षा मिले, लेकिन अपना देश भी बड़ा है तो निजी संस्थान और फी का स्ट्रक्चर भी आता है।

          Today, what we are introducing is an amendment to the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research Act, 2007 in which 20 institutes were recognised as National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research. All these three things are important things – technology, science education and research. We cannot just create only technocrats with application sciences. We must learn basic science also. We must also promote research.

          Sir, may I mention where India lacks? It lacks in innovation. It is because we do not allow inquisitiveness from childhood. हम बच्चे को स्कूल में कहते हैं कि चुप बैठो, प्रश्न मत पूछो। Actually he or she should ask question. When they ask a question, they are challenging what is there and then only, they can find something new.  So, innovation is the product of research. Therefore, the basic sciences and basic research has to be the thrust of higher education. These national institutes – they are popularly called NITs – like IITs and ISCERs have all become institutes of national importance and national excellence. That is what we have created through last 70 years. These kinds of institutes actually make the country a prosperous country.

          Countries can prosper by four ways. One such way is the European way, the way they prospered through colonial exploitation. It was one part of the story. The second way is like that of the Middle East. They have been given tremendous natural bounties. Anywhere you dig and you have the oil. That is another way. The third way is what India and China adopted. They mastered in adaptation, reverse engineering and cost competitiveness, and they flourished. But the real prosperity comes through innovation.

          We have a mobile with us, whatever brand it may be of. As a Chairman of IT Task Force of my State, I was with Steve Jobs for two days. At that time, in 1998, iPhone was not there. He was telling us about his dream project of iPhone where he would put all utilities, all applications in a hand-held device. Earlier, computers used to be so big and people were using different applications. For different utilities, different applications were being used. But he combined all into one. That is the power of innovation. That is the way to wealth creation as well. The cost of the material which goes into it may be Rs. 5,000, but it becomes worth Rs. 50,000 because of the innovation put into it.  So, we must promote innovation, we must promote research. That is a major task of, and challenge before, our higher education system. Therefore, these national institutes are really important.

          Today, what I am bringing to you is, in a way, a part of completion of an assurance which was given to the newly carved out State of Andhra Pradesh because an NIT was already there in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, which is now a part of Telangana. The new State of Andhra Pradesh also requires an NIT. That was our promise. We are fulfilling it through this Bill.

          The  Bill, when it was envisaged in 2007, had 20 national institutes; then in 2012, five Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs); and 10 new NITs were added to it. In 2014, there was one amendment for one institute, namely, the Bengal Engineering Science University, Shibpur and that was added to it. So, they became 36, and today, we are adding one more and that makes it 37 national important universities out of which 31 will be NITs; five will be IISERs; and one will be the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur. So, all this is put together.

          In a way, this NIT is already operational, but it is working in the campus of Sri Vasavi Engineering College in Tadepalligudem in West Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh. Already there are 900 students, which are part of the story as this is the second year. But now after there is a four year course, it will be a big institute of 2,000. We will have a separate campus for it where 140 acres of land has already been handed over by the Andhra Pradesh State Government and the DPR is in finalisation stage. We have already budgeted Rs. 40 crore. Shri Haribabu is here and he has been following it. In two months time we will come to a decision on that DPR and we will release the sanctioned funds. Already, we have released Rs. 10 crore, but we will release Rs. 40 crore. Let me assure at this point of time that there will be no dearth of expenditure or funds for this programme because this is a very prestigious programme. Therefore, we will do it.

          When Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were formed, the Government led by Shri Narendra Modi ji has taken many decisions. I was till two weeks ago heading the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. There was an issue of formation of the State Capital for the new State of Andhra Pradesh. They have decided to form it at Amravati, which is a place between Vijayawada and Guntur where forest land was involved. Our Forest Diversion Act says that you cannot divert forest land for any non-forest purpose, which is not site-specific. But we took a policy decision and not an arbitrary action. We took a policy decision that for a newly carved-out State if the Capital is to be created because that is an important issue, then we must give land there and they are giving additional compensatory land. I must compliment the Andhra Pradesh Government that they have offered alternative land for afforestation in the Tiger Corridor area. This is also one important environmental aspect. Therefore, the Government is committed to fulfil all promises given to both the new States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. This is in continuation of that mission to fulfil the promises that this Bill of instituting National Institute of Technology at Tadepalligudem in West Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh has been brought. Thank you.

 

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Motion moved:

“That the Bill further to amend the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research Act, 2007, be taken into consideration. ”   DR. SHASHI THAROOR (THIRUVANANTHAPURAM): Sir, I may be permitted to speak from this place.

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Okay, go ahead.

DR. SHASHI THAROOR : Mr. Deputy-Speaker, Sir, it is always very encouraging for us when new institutions of higher education are established in our country to cater to the growing aspirations, the tremendous potential and the vast needs of our youthful population. The future is theirs and it is for us to help shape it through creating quality institutions such as the IITs and the NITs. To this extent, the amendment to the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research Bill, 2016 to add the NIT in Andhra Pradesh to the schedule of the parent Act of 2007 is something we welcome as a Party, and if I may say so in my personal capacity as a former MoS in Shri Javadekar’s Ministry of Human Resource Development.

          However, Mr. Deputy-Speaker, Sir, it is also my duty as a parliamentarian to bring to the attention of this House the complete disregard of this Government for the principle of quality in its quest for mere quantity. What, for instance, is the current state of this very NIT in Andhra Pradesh that we are discussing here today? The NIT with 900 students already, as the Minister told us, functions out of a temporary campus. There are no laboratories; there are no libraries; there are no high quality IT or engineering tools for training. Can you imagine an engineering college without a functioning laboratory or library books? The fact is there is an acute shortage of infrastructure in terms of accommodation as well. We have a situation where we have created an institution which was not ready to be launched, but in a haste to put the foundation-stone as announced, they have gone ahead. The result is, even to stay, there is a girls’ hostel functioning, but the boys are accommodated in a village somewhere else.

          The NIT has been permitted to commence activities, but do we want shells of institutions, Mr. Minister, or path-breaking resource centres that would truly make a difference? I want to contrast this to what we have just seen in my constituency two weeks ago, when a fully functioning Central Polytechnic, the best known in Kerala, established in 1949, was derecognized by the AICTE in your Ministry for not fulfilling a list of conditions that they deemed had to be fulfilled. If that same list were applied to the new NIT in Andhra Pradesh, it would have been derecognized by the same AICTE.

          So, the problem in our system is that our higher education – I said this when I was a Minister as well – is overregulated and under-governed. We really need to focus on what the purpose of education is, how we bring about learning outcomes for our children and not focus irrelevantly on excessive regulation.

          There is a larger problem that is hidden behind this Bill, Mr. Deputy-Speaker, Sir. Even our premier IITs are facing today a shortage of trained faculty. According to the Government’s own figures, it is about 42 per cent in the IITs, but in the NITs, the shortage is now in the glaring vicinity of 50 per cent of the authorised faculty. There are no teachers, Mr. Deputy-Speaker, and students are being herded into half-built campuses with half the faculty strength to receive an education that can only be called half-baked. Frankly, this is inadequate. We cannot run education like this.

          On top of that, employers across the board are complaining about the unemployability of Indian graduates. A recent FICCI survey shows a figure of 62 per cent of employers are dissatisfied with the quality of our engineering graduates. This is a fact. In fact, I have spoken to many CEOs, as I am sure you have done. Infosys and Tatas and so on have set up their own campuses to train the people they have already hired after an engineering degree,  not for on-the-job training, but to make up for the deficiencies of the education we are giving them in our engineering colleges. They are getting nine months to one year of new education because our education is not good enough. Of course, they are paying teachers better. So, many teachers are leaving and going to Tatas and Infosys and companies like that, rather than staying in the NITs and coming to the IITs.

          Yes, we are proud of our IITs, which is the next Bill that you are bringing up. There is no problem there but these  are largely islands of excellence floating in a sea of mediocrity. The truth is we have to be conscious that NITs live up to the standard that their name ‘National Institute of Technology’ implies. The fact is that in our haste to add more on paper, we must not lose sight of the fact that these institutions are meant to set new and higher standards. If your walls are not solid , and you have no teachers to set the right intellectual standards, it will collapse. It is not just the building that will collapse, but also it will take with it the future and the prospects of the bright young people who are going to build the India of tomorrow.

          I looked at your own Ministry’s documentation, Javadekar Sahab. A UGC survey of 1471 colleges and 11 universities have found that 73 per cent of the colleges and 68 per cent of the universities have a quality that the HRD/UGC considers to be medium or low quality. Yet, what are we spending in the latest Budget of this Government – 1.2 per cent of our GDP on higher education. Frankly, that compares with 3.1 per cent in the US. Okay, we are not the US. But take South Korea which is not far away. It is 2.4 per cent  -- double of what we are spending.

Since we are talking about the NITs, let me stress that a Working Paper on the Quality of Engineering Education in BRICS countries has been released. As you know, India is now going to host the BRICS Summit and all the BRICS Conferences this year. According to that, average spending per year in engineering education is the lowest in India among the BRICS countries. We are spending 1300 dollars a year; China spends 4300 dollars a year per capita; and Brazil spends 5000 dollars a year. Even our fellow BRICS members, companions in the developing world, are leaving us behind. They have policies that focus rightly on quality and not just quantity. While we are on BRICS, let me mention that in terms of higher education and training, Russia is 47th amongst the 148 countries surveyed in the world. We are ranked only at 91. We do not even have complete campuses,  like the NIT that we are just approving today. It is no wonder that statistics are stacked against us. Though I am not going to speak on the next Bill on the IITs, let me again remind you about the Kakodkar Committee reforms.  Really we ought to take those into account and implement them. They have been sitting with your Government for two years on the IITs.

          In global ranking, we know our IITs will feature in the top  two hundred. When we come to the NITs, they do not feature anywhere in the top 500. Why is this the case? Why is it that we are so insistent on increasing the numbers of our institutions without a corresponding interest in ensuring that we improve the quality of our institutions? Governments can exploit sheer numbers for public relations purposes. But what about the hundreds of students who enter these institutions each year in the hope of getting a decent education but are told, upon graduation, that they are unemployable and they need to be trained all over again. The quantum of support that our Government is granting to higher education institutions is simply insignificant in comparison to funding that other countries and other Governments are giving.

          I  think, Harvard University’s research and development funds alone exceed that of the entire HRD Budget that Shri Jaitley has given. All the UGC, all the agencies including the UGC put together will come under one university in America. There are, of course, structural and financial differences between us and the Harvard. I am not comparing them. But the point is this. Can we make fuller, better and wiser use of our resources instead of fragmenting them by spreading them right across this horizon of  mediocrity that I described? We should be building big ships that can withstand the ocean and not boats that will capsize at the first wave.

          You mentioned, Mr. Minister, in your remarks, the importance of innovation. I agree with you one hundred per cent. When I was there, I would make the same point. But look at what we are doing. India today has 17 per cent of the world’s brains, because we have 17 per cent of the world’s people. But we are only producing 3.5 per cent of the world’s global research output. There is something wrong there. What are we doing to tap the possibilities of industry-academia collaboration? My Government had accepted the report given by Shri Narayana Murthy to promote more academia-industry interface. I would suggest – I had respectfully suggested when I was there earlier – that we could, for example, allow companies to come directly to our IITs and NITs and say: “here is a research project; if you have students who are prepared to research on this, whatever comes up, we will have an agreement. We will innovate something together and NIT can share the profits with the private companies.” It happens very commonly in the West. But we need a policy decision from you that will allow the NITs and other institutions to have this kind of relationship with companies.

          Similarly, why can we not get more private sector money into this? You admit that you do not have enough money in your Budget. Look at the OECD countries. About 75 per cent of research and development funding in the OECD countries comes from the private sector. In our case, it is only 15 per cent from the private sector. Why is everything dependent upon the Government? Having heard our Prime Minister’s speeches, we should expect that this Government should be reaching out much more to infuse more funding into our NITs and IITs.  Pending, when we lost our position in the Government, was our Research and Innovation Bill which would have allowed the setting up of some 14 universities purely for research and innovation, including  in the private sector or funding on a PPP mode, or even on a sole ownership mode. 

15.00 hours Please look at that Bill again and see if we would like to revive it. The honest truth is, your diagnosis is right that we need more innovation, we need more research, but we are yet to see a convincing prescription for that diagnosis. You also need to prescribe a solution that takes into account these ideas.

          Considering that the NIT in Andhra Pradesh has already been functioning for one year, I have to say to you, Mr. Minister, that even its website does not inspire confidence. Please have a look at it. For example, the section on faculty has just two lines which I now quote. “Faculty for the new Institute will be taken initially under ad hoc basis. Some senior faculty members superannuated from IITs and NITs also will be taken. In addition to this, faculty members from the mentoring institute NIT Warangal will be taking classes, both theory and lab, on a regular basis”. This is the entire website listing on faculty at NIT that you have just asked us to approve. This, Mr. Deputy Speaker, is where our children’s future is being crafted! This is where tomorrow’s leaders are being told to dream their dreams!           I ask you Mr. Minister, are we doing them justice? Is it any wonder that 82 per cent of our country’s engineering graduates are ending up in professions that do not require an engineering degree? What is the Government doing to align the establishment of educational institutions like this NIT that we are approving today with market research so that we know what employers are looking for before we push our children through an engineering degree? Let us see what they want? Where is the need? What kind of engineers do we want in India, or what do employers want, what does the government want, what does the future want? Is the Government creating NITs within a framework that aligns education with employment and both with the country’s needs? Where is our value addition? What can we do that others are not doing better than us, and with more money than us?

          What is happening to our engineering graduates, Sir? Mr. Deputy Speaker, I must tell you, last month the Madhya Pradesh Police Department advertised 14,000 Constable posts. Nine lakh candidates applied for these Madhya Pradesh Police Department posts of which there were 10,000 engineering graduates, a dozen Ph.D. holders, plus another 90,000 graduates and 15,000 postgraduates. They want to be Constables in Madhya Pradesh. Because  the fact is we are releasing graduates into an ecosystem that does not know how to use them. We have talent in our country but we do not know how to mould it, how to put it forward.

We need to change the ecosystem and that includes, Mr. Minister, providing innovation, including incentives. I was very interested to learn from Prof. Mashelkar that he is now giving out of his own money, Government is not doing it, an annual prize for innovation. I know you know him well. Find out about this. The prize in the first year was won by a young man who actually targeted a real need in our country. As you know, we have something like 15 million people who go blind because of preventable blindness. Most of this could be prevented by a simple eye test for glaucoma early on so that they can catch in time. For that you need drops which will dilate your eyes and you cannot see clearly for the rest of the day or for several hours.

Most of these poor Indians are daily wage workers, they cannot afford to lose a day’s wage. So, they avoid the test because they cannot afford not to have their eyesight for a day. So, this man invented a test for glaucoma that does not require dilation of the eyes and now poor people can go for the test. Mashelkar sahib said this is where we should give prizes for innovation, innovation that is targeting the needs of our country’s people. And I would urge you, Mr. Minister, that the Ministry itself should come up with a national level incentive like this to encourage more innovation in the NITs, IITs and elsewhere.

Finally, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I am not opposing this Bill. My party and I want more higher education institutions to open their door to India’s young people who are hungry for education. But we all want these additional institutions to be solid, to be well equipped with teachers and resources, and to produce quality learning outcomes so that their graduates can go confidently into the world where their skills can command good prospects in the employment market. Can we truly say that that is the case today, Mr. Minister? I think in all honesty, even though we are not here to oppose this Bill, we want you to think very seriously about these larger issues that I have raised.

With these words, Mr. Deputy Speaker, let us by all means declare this NIT to be an institution of national importance, but let us also make it an institution of truly national importance. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker.                                                                        

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: As hon. Member spoke, we need more NITs.  That is all right.  But at the same time, we need more fund allocation.  Without funds, we cannot do anything.  That is the problem the Ministry is facing.  That is very important.  That is why they are running institutions on ad hoc basis.

… (Interruptions)

DR. KAMBHAMPATI HARIBABU (VISAKHAPATNAM): Hon. Deputy Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak on this very important Bill concerning the State of Andhra Pradesh.  The National Institute of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Bill 2016 is primarily to include National Institute of Technology, Andhra Pradesh in the list of institutions of national importance.  This NIT is situated in Tadepalligudem in the State of Andhra Pradesh.  My friend Shri Shashi Tharoor mentioned that it is a hasty decision to start this institution in temporary campus.  But I wish to bring to your kind notice that this is not a hasty decision.  The State of Andhra Pradesh was divided in 2014 and the feelings of the people of Andhra Pradesh were severely hurt. 

When the State was divided, there was not even a single institution of national importance left in the State of divided Andhra Pradesh. The Andhra Pradesh Re-organization Bill also states the establishment of about 11 institutions in Andhra Pradesh.  Therefore, to instill the confidence among the people of Andhra Pradesh, the NDA Government led by Shri Narendra Modi has taken a decision to start nine out 11 institutions that are mentioned in the Andhra Pradesh Re-organization Act and assured the people of Andhra Pradesh that the NDA Government is with them.  As part of the assurances given, the NDA Government has taken steps to start the National Institute of Technology in the State of Andhra Pradesh under mentorship of National Institute of Technology in Warangal.  NIT, Warangal is a very reputed institution and they are taking all steps to see that this institution also gets national importance in providing quality education in all engineering branches. 

When the State was divided, we were not left with any IIT, IIM or even a single NIT or IISER.  Therefore, the NDA Government has taken a decision to start NIT, IIM, IIT and IISER etc.  I compliment the Government for taking such a bold decision to start nine institutions out of 11 promised in a span of 20 months of time.  I think that since the Independence of our country in 1947, no Central Government has done to any particular State what the NDA Government has done to Andhra Pradesh during the last 20 months. 

          I also compliment the Minister for providing 480 seats in the very first year of establishment of NIT.  Wherever they have started, they have given 240.  Since 50 per cent of the seats are meant for domicile students, to safeguard the interest of the students from Andhra Pradesh the number of seats is being given as 480 so that 240 Andhra students can get opportunity.  That is a magnanimous decision taken by the Government.  The funds were allocated.  All steps are being taken to provide basic infrastructure that is required for the NIT established at Tadepalligudem at Andhra Pradesh.  Land was identified and handed over to the Government of India for taking up construction of the building.  I request the hon. Minister to take steps to see that the construction of the buildings is taken up immediately and finished expeditiously.

          Nowadays, when the contract is being given, the construction work is being delayed due to cash flow problems. I have a suggestion for the hon. Minister to consider. There are foreign financial institutions which are coming forward to finance for the projects at LIBOR interest rates or at lesser rates. Therefore, the Ministry of Human Resource Development’s contractor who is going to implement the project, the State Government and also the financial institutions can have some sort of a memorandum of understanding and the cash flow problems could be sorted out by taking assistance from the financial institutions and the money taken for construction could be repaid in instalments in three to four years. I would request the hon. Minister to consider this suggestion.

          Out of eleven institutions that were promised for Andhra Pradesh in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, nine have been established; only two are left over for establishment in Andhra Pradesh: one is the Central University and the other is the Tribal University. These two universities are to be considered for establishment in Andhra Pradesh at the earliest. For that, there is a requirement of passing a Bill or making an Act in Parliament. I would request the hon. Minister to take steps so that those two institutions can also be started during this academic year or in next academic year and the people of Andhra Pradesh will be thankful and grateful to the Government led by Shri Narendra Modi.

          I have two suggestions – one is encouraging quality in education and the other is innovation. I think, the Government led by Shri Narendra Modi is laying emphasis on skill development and innovation. Therefore, every institute of national importance should have a skill development centre and also an innovation centre so that people could be encouraged to improve their skills in these institutions.

          I would also like to bring to your kind notice that in engineering education there are four or five tiers of institutions. The first is the Indian Institutes of Technology; the second is the National Institutes of Technology; the third is the engineering colleges organised by the universities or university engineering colleges; and the fourth is the engineering colleges in the private sector, of good quality and also of poor quality. Therefore, I have a request to the Government of India. Since the State Governments are not in a position to deploy more funds for undertaking infrastructure development in the State university colleges, I request the hon. Minister to consider how these university colleges can also be brought on par with NITs and other institutions. I think, if we can take steps for this, the quality of engineering education can improve. There is no doubt that engineering graduates coming out of many of the private poor quality engineering colleges are not having the necessary skills to be employed. I think, we should take care of those people who are coming out of engineering colleges, to impart more skills so that they could be employed by the industries and various organisations.

          Thank you very much.

 

SHRI S. SELVAKUMARA CHINNAIYAN (ERODE): Hon. Deputy-Speaker, Sir, I wish to express my sincere gratitude to our beloved leader hon. Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Puratchi Thalaivi Amma for giving me an opportunity to speak on this Bill.

          The National Institutes of Technology are a group of premier public institutes in India. These institutes of national importance receive special recognition and funding from the Government of India.

Tamil Nadu, under the dynamic leadership of hon. Chief Minister Puratchi Thalaivi Amma, has been the education hub in the country.  The National Institute of Technology at Tiruchirappalli, popularly called REC Trichy in earlier days, has produced great personalities who have occupied top positions in Government, public and private sector companies in the past and present.  Many of them have reached the pinnacle of success in socio economic world.

On their inception decades ago, all NITs were referred to as Regional Engineering Colleges and were governed by the respective State Governments.  In 2002, the then HRD Minister, Shri Murli Manohar Joshi, decided to upgrade all RECs to National Institutes of Technology.  The upgrade was designed along the lines of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology.  NITs were found to be promoting regional diversity and multi-cultural understanding in India.  Comprising 31 autonomous institutes, each of them is located in one major State or Union Territory of India.  In 2007, the Indian Government declared these schools as institutes of national importance.

The NIT Council is the supreme governing body of India’s 31 National Institutes of Technology system.  Admission to the under-graduate course B.Tech in NITs is through the highly competitive Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Mains.  From 2015, the Joint Seat Allocation Authority conducts common counselling and allocates seats jointly for all the Indian Institutes of Technology, National Institutes of Technology and Indian Institutes of Information Technology.  In 2015, over 13 lakh candidates appeared for the JEE for admission to 28,000 undergraduate engineering seats in 68 centrally-funded technical institutes, that include all 19 IITs (10,000 seats), 31 NITs (15,500 seats) and 18 IIITs (2,500 seats).  All NITs are autonomous which enables them to set up their own curriculum.  I would request the Government to provide certain number of seats for poor and deserving students recommended by the respective State Governments.

NIT Andhra Pradesh has been set up to cater to the needs of the State of Andhra Pradesh which did not have NITs.  NIT, Andhra Pradesh will benefit the State of Andhra Pradesh specifically and the whole country in general.  NIT, Andhra Pradesh will be covered under the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research Act, 2007.  Declaring it as an institution of national importance, it will ultimately help in addressing the aspirations of people in the main stream of technical education.  NIT Andhra Pradesh was established at the temporary campus of West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.  The State Government of Andhra Pradesh has also provided a land for NIT Andhra Pradesh at West Godavari district.

I would also request the Union Government to allocate more funds for such highly commendable and performing NITs in the country, like the NIT Tiruchirappalli and also suggest to the Government to encourage and generate financial support from the most successful people and form a corpus fund for all the NITs in the country.

          Thank you.

                                                                   

PROF. SUGATA BOSE (JADAVPUR): Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, may I at the outset express my appreciation to our new hon. Minister for Human Resource Development for felicitating all the teacher MPs on the occasion of ‘Guru Purnima’ a couple of days ago?  That was a very fine symbolic gesture on his part and we on our part wish him all the best in discharging the onerous responsibility that he has been given to improve our educational system for our younger generation.

          On the face of it, this is a very simple and straightforward amendment to the NIT Act. It only adds one more NIT in Andhra Pradesh consequent on the bifurcation of the old State between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.  But this apparently small amendment raises some very deep questions about our educational policy and the future direction of the younger generation in our country. 

Some of the concerns that I had wished to express have already been anticipated by my colleague, Shri Shashi Tharoor, who, by virtue of belonging to a marginally larger party in this Lok Sabha, has the right to speak before me.   I wish he had stayed to listen to at least the next speaker who had his views to express on this important subject. 

 I agree with many of the concerns about quality that had been expressed by my good friend, Shri Shashi Tharoor, but I think he made one very unfair comparison.  Harvard University is a private university in the world and its endowment is larger than the GDP of many countries in this world.  So, that comparison should not really be made.

Now what are these National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research?  We started out with eight regional engineering colleges and now, we have many more but 20 of them are upgradations from the status of regional engineering colleges.  Subsequently, 10 more NITs have been added and today, we are about to welcome in this Parliament the birth of a new NIT in Andhra Pradesh.  We will, of course, support that move and we wish the people of Andhra Pradesh all the best for the future.

I would, however, like to raise some questions about the kind of education that we wish to give to our younger generation.  Shri Javadekar was absolutely right in saying that even in the nomenclature of these institutes, we have the word ‘technology’ but also the phrases ‘science education and research’. 

Now we must have a fine balance between teaching and research in all of our educational institutes including our universities, both central and State, in addition to the IITs, the NITs and the IISERs.  Unfortunately, the NIT in Andhra Pradesh and also some of the new NITs that have been approved by this Parliament do not have capacity for carrying out the kind of cutting edge research and innovation that we need in this country. 

When we go ahead and announce the establishment of new institutions, first of all, it takes a lot of time to build a new campus.  Even this NIT is currently functioning out of a temporary campus but at least when it comes to physical infrastructure, when it comes to bricks and mortar, for a number of years after the announcement of these new institutes, money is spent and many contractors make money but do we give adequate attention to human resources?   Do we actually anticipate the faculty requirements for these new institutes?  Do we actually make sure that the students who will join these new institutes will, in fact, get the best instruction possible?  I think we need to pay very close attention to these issues.

I would also like to add that we have a large number of institutes of national importance which are devoted to technology of one kind or another.  The IITs, the NITs and also the Institutes of Information Technology run into scores in terms of the numbers of Institutes of Technology of one kind or another that we have. But do we pay adequate attention to institutes for the Humanities and the Arts? What is happening in our Institutes of Technology, particularly the NITs is that we are not producing well-rounded citizens. Even in Institutes of Technology there should be arrangements to teach subjects in the field of Arts and Humanities. If you consider the best Institute of Technology in the world today, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has a very fine Philosophy Department. It has a superb History Department. They are small but the students who are training to be engineers are given an opportunity to also study the Arts and the Humanities. Otherwise, in this craze for Information Technology in particular, we will be creating very one dimensional young citizens of India.

          Now, a couple of years ago Shri Anil Madhav Dave had asked a very pertinent question from the Ministry of Human Resource Development. He had asked whether the condition of learning in the subjects of Humanities and Arts is poor and he had also asked whether the Government is making any action plan for new institutes and incentives in the field of Arts, Commerce, Culture and Humanities. I am sorry to have to say that in the written reply that was provided by the Ministry of Human Resource Development there were very misleading statements. I will you why. It was stated that up to 2011 there were 4677 institutions only for science and technology and there were 4315 institutions offering courses only on Arts and Humanities in that same year. But that was not the question. The question was how many institutes of national importance we have in the field of humanities compared to the number of institutes of national importance in the field of science and technology. Two years ago, in his Budget Speech, Shri Arun Jaitley had announced that there was going to be a national institute of Humanities named after none other than our great iconic leader, the late Jaiprakash Narain, in Madhya Pradesh. But this Parliament and the general public in India have not heard very much more since then about the progress in the creation of this one national institute for the Humanities that had been announced by this Government more than two years ago. Even if we are not able to set up very many institutes of national importance in the field of Humanities and Arts, there are other ways in which Humanities and Arts can be supported in our universities and colleges. For example, in the United States of America there is a National Endowment for the Humanities and National Endowment for the Arts which provide funding for the finest research and new innovation and creativity in the field of Humanities and Arts. So, there are ways in which we can provide a more balanced education for our younger generation.

          Sir, there are a few more things to be said about our Educational Policy, but today as you can see we are rather diminished in terms of the benches on this side of the House because in West Bengal we are observing Martyrs Day. Twenty-three years ago 13 young men had been killed in police firing while our leader Ms. Mamata Banerjee led  a demonstration for the restoration of democratic rights for the people of West Bengal. I will have an opportunity to speak once more when the Indian Institute of Technology (Amendment) Bill is brought before us.

I will not extend my discourse any further at the moment excepting to say that when this Parliament which has the sole prerogative to assign the nomenclature institutes of national importance takes this momentous decision, let us make sure that these institutes are truly of national importance.   Let us set ourselves a goal that in the foreseeable future, say, within the next three to five years, at least a few of our National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research will be able to break into the top 500 of world rankings because we should not be satisfied with rankings within our own country.  We have a global role to play.  We must compete with the rest of the world and make sure that our students and younger generation are getting the best education possible whether in the field of science education or in the field of arts and humanities.

          Thank you very much, Mr. Deputy-Speaker Sir.

                                                                            

SHRI BAIJAYANT JAY PANDA (KENDRAPARA):   Hon. Deputy-Speaker, Sir, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak on this important Bill.

          First of all, let me welcome this Bill that is introduced by the hon. Minister for HRD and compliment him as well for bringing the same energy for which he has recently been elevated to this very important Ministry.

           Sir, as some of my colleagues have already mentioned, this and the forthcoming Bill on amending the IIT Act will also introduce new institutions in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Karnataka, Jammu  and Kashmir and there will also be an upgradation of another institute in Bihar.

          I want to touch upon one issue which has been touched upon by a couple of my colleagues and extend the argument that what we are looking is just not extending the quantity of NITs and IITs throughout the country but also the quality.  The issue of teacher shortage which some of my colleagues have already referred to is extremely crucial.  Sir, this is not that a few of us here are speaking about it.  Let me refer you to the last time that the NIT Bill was amended a couple of years ago.

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  The shortage is not only in appointments but most of the teachers are going away on some other assignments. If you see the roll of registers, you may find the position of staff recruitment.  You may note that most of the teachers are going away abroad on some other assignments or on some other subjects.  Therefore, they have to fill up these posts immediately.  That is one problem which most of the Government institutions is facing.

SHRI BAIJAYANT JAY PANDA:  Sir, I thank you for pointing that out.  I will also touch upon it.       It is not that just a few Members are mentioning it.  I would like to bring to the attention of the hon. Minister’s that a couple of years ago, the last time when the NIT Bill was amended, it was to take an institute in West Bengal and upgrade it much like the earlier NITs were upgraded. Now also, in Dhanbad, the Indian Institute of Mines is going to be upgraded to an IIT.  Our Parliamentary Committee which looked into it made the exact comment and pointed out that there is a tremendous dearth of teachers which is going to affect the quality.

          Sir, regarding the statistics cited by my hon. colleague from Kerala who is not present in the House just now, I have a little difference in it because I have taken it from the Ministry’s website.  But even the Ministry’s own website points out that in the IITs, there is 39 per cent shortage of teaching staff.  In the NITs, shortage is 29 per cent and in the IIITs, shortage is 36 per cent. These are slightly different than what Dr. Tharoor had pointed out.  But I have taken your own statistics. So, you cannot quibble with this and as the hon. Deputy-Speaker has pointed out, this must be number one on your agenda to make sure that recruitment of teachers and instructors for these institutes is of utmost priority.

          The irony is this that the number of public engineering institutions, including the IITs and NITs, are dwarfed by the number of private institutions that have come up in the whole country. There are between 1.5 and 2 million engineering graduates that are produced every year, but employability is very low. Recently, a Delhi based employment solutions organisation called Aspiring Minds did a survey of 1,50,000 engineering graduates and they found barely seven per cent were employable in core engineering jobs. This should not come as a surprise to us. It is not just some agency that has done a survey.

          I would like to cite, perhaps the most famous engineer today living in India, Shri E. Sreedharan, who has built the Delhi Metro among many other projects. He blames the abysmal quality of engineers on the unbridled growth of private engineering colleges with no regulation. The numbers are quite astounding. The number of private engineering colleges in Andhra Pradesh alone where this new Institute is being opened is more than 700. There are something like 5,000 such institutes altogether.

SHRI MUTHAMSETTI SRINIVASA RAO (AVANTHI) (ANAKAPALLI): That was for the united Andhra Pradesh.

SHRI BAIJAYANT JAY PANDA: I stand corrected. That was before bifurcation. But I think the point is made.

          Out of the total number of about 5,000 engineering colleges in both public and private sector, barely 1,500 are in the public sector. Let me point out why the public sector, the NITs and the IITs, are important. I am not against the private sector. I am a great votary of encouraging the private sector in many fields of commerce and our economy. But the greatest institutes in the world are those that do not treat teaching as a profitable entity.  We have had references to Harvard and other universities of world repute. Some of us had opportunities to visit Yale University, one of the best known universities in the world. We were impressed to learn that although Yale’s fee that they charge the students is quite high, it only represents 14 per cent of the actual cost of teaching. Why is it? That is because 86 per cent of the cost of teaching at Yale is subsidised from the endowments.

          The hon. colleague was just talking about the very large endowments that Harvard has and that their endowments are larger than the GDP of many countries. This is the reason why our private institutions which are churning out, like an assembly line, lakhs and millions of engineering graduates who are mostly not employable, have to be seen as something of serious concern. This is why the public institutes are very important. Right from the days of our early Republic, from the days of Nehru ji, we gave importance to the highest teaching standards at some of these institutions. But we  have actually not kept up. We have actually been left behind as some of our colleagues have pointed out.

          Let me point out, in the top 200 universities and institutes in the world, only two of our Indian institutes rank. These two are Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru at 47th rank and Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi at 197th rank, out of the top 200 in the world. If we look at the other countries, in the top 200 universities of the world, the United States has 49 universities; the UK has 30 universities; the Netherlands has 12 universities; and China has seven universities.

          The point that I was trying to make is that while the private engineering institutes treat it like a commodity – they churn out like an assembly line, all these so-called engineering graduates, who mostly are not employable – the difficulty is that because they are treating it with profit motive, they are not investing in research. The name of this Bill is the National Institutes of Technology, Science, Education and Research (Amendment) Bill. The private engineering institutes are doing a much lesser job of providing the opportunities for research because it is not profitable. Research is going to take many years, maybe decades, to pay off and they are not investing in that.

It is clearly evident in the number of Ph.Ds that we have. Let us have a look at some of the statistics. In India, as per the last provisional survey in 2014-15, about 1,13,000 students were registered for Ph.D. study. It sounds like a lot, but it is not. It is only 0.34 per cent of all the students registered only for higher education.           I am not counting school students and all. One-third of one per cent of all our students in higher education is registered for Ph.Ds. Let me cite something which is even more worrisome because there are Ph.Ds. and there are Ph.Ds. One of the  important criteria we should be looking at how many Ph.Ds. are working in science and technology-related fields because while we must encourage the arts, as hon. Member from West Bengal has pointed out, we do need to provide a well rounded education at the Bachelor’s level, at the highest levels of research, if our country is to go forward, we must invest in research. That is what this Bill is all about.

          If you look at Ph.D. students in India, less than 20 per cent are enrolled in scientific and technological areas, the rest are all in areas that are of the arts, or arts-related areas. Compared to that, I am sure the hon. Minister is aware of this, 75 per cent of all the Ph.D. students enrolled are in sciences and technology. Compared to that, China has 41 per cent of all the Ph.D. students are doing research in science and technology-related areas. In our case, it is 19 point odd per cent, less than 20 per cent. This is what needs to change dramatically if the quality of our higher education particularly related to NITs, IITs is to improve and not just the quantity.

          I think, the subject has been touched by many of my colleagues, I am sure, the hon. Minister is aware of all these issues. But I think it is important for us, as the temple of democracy in this country, to highlight these issues so that they do not get left behind in the other urgencies that the Government has to deal with. This is very important.   

  I do support this Bill with the caveats that I have pointed out, and I wish the hon. Minister all the best in all his endeavours to take our higher education in technology to higher levels.

SHRI MUTHAMSETTI SRINIVASA RAO (AVANTHI) (ANAKAPALLI): Madam Speaker, thank you for giving me an opportunity to speak on the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (NITSER) (Amendment) Bill, 2016. I rise to support the Bill.

Thanksto the UnionCabinet chairedby thePrime Minister,Shri Narendra Modi, on 25th May,2016 granted ex-post facto approvalfor establishment of NIT, AndhraPradesh, registeredas a Society under theAndhra Pradesh Societies RegistrationAct, 2001with effect from 20thAugust, 2015.

The Billseeks to amend the National Institutesof Technology, Science Educationand ResearchAct, 2007for inclusion of the NIT,Andhra Pradeshin its First Schedule.

The Bill recognizesNIT, AndhraPradeshas a society underthe Societies Registration Act, 2001 and gives a legalentity to it.

As a matterof fact,the bifurcation of State ofAndhra Pradesh had an adverseimpart on educationsectorof both the regions.On the onehand, Telangana got three Central Universities, on the other hand, Andhra Pradesh had none.

Asper policy of the Government, 50 per cent of the seatsin NITs are earmarked for the eligible domicile students of States/districts where the NITs are situated. Sir, NIT, Andhra Pradesh will ensurethat the studentsof AndhraPradesh will get adequate opportunities to pursue researchat undergraduate,postgraduate and doctorallevels,in an inter-disciplinaryknowledge regime and researchenvironment.I thank the NDA Government for providing50 percent of the seats for domicilestudents.

15.43 hours                      (Shri Hukmdeo Narayan Yadav in the Chair) NIT, Andhra Pradesh was established at a temporary campus of West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. The State Government of Andhra Pradesh has also provided land for NIT-Andhra Pradesh at West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. NIT, Warangal would function as the parent college that would look after the functioning of the university.

          My friend, Dr. Shashi Tharoor told that the college is situated at a temporary location. For the information of the august House, not only the college, after the bifurcation of our State, but our Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu is also staying in a temporary accommodation. He is functioning in a temporary office accommodation and all our Ministers are functioning from a temporary accommodation. Everything is temporary because of the unscientific bifurcation done by the earlier UPA Government. Due to this, five crore people of Andhra Pradesh are suffering a lot.

          But at the same time, in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act many things are mentioned. I thank the former HRD Minister Smriti Iraniji and Prime Minister Narendra Modiji as they have given permission to start nine institutions out of 11. It is a historical step after independence of this country. Now, I would also like to congratulate Javadekarji and I request him to extend all the support. He is giving Rs. 40 crore for this institute. We all know very well as to how much money is required to build a National Institute of Technology. Of course, for the time being, this institute is being run from a temporary location. But I would request the hon. HRD Minister to create the entire infrastructure for the National Institute of Technology, Tadepalligudem before the completion of the first batch and see that the first batch students do not feel inferior as compared to the students of other NITs in the country.

          Sir, everybody is speaking about foreign universities and our universities. They are making a comparison. I am very sorry for that. If we see, our great former Prime Ministers Vajpayeeji, P.V. Narasimha Raoji and the present Prime Minister Narendra Modji are not from any foreign university. In fact, our former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Raoji was responsible for bringing in liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation.

          Many of our Members are speaking about engineering graduates and employment. One of our earlier speakers Shri Haribabu also said that we have four categories of engineering colleges, namely IITs, NITs, University engineering colleges and private engineering colleges. Here, I would like to request the Government of India to provide more and more funds to higher education in our country because providing education is the responsibility of the Government. Even though we are having a lot of private colleges, as one of our friends said, at present there is shortage of teachers in IITs and NITs. There is not only shortage of teachers and also shortage of funds, but I would also request all the political parties that we have to reduce political interference in our higher educational institutions, particularly in Central Universities, IITs and NITs. Due to political interference, many teachers are not willing to work in higher educational institutions like Central Universities, IITs and NITs. Recently we have seen the episode of Hyderabad Central University.

          Secondly, even at the University level it is very unfortunate that our post graduate students and research students are quarrelling with each other on issues of caste, religion, local students and non-local students. So, I would request the hon. HRD Minister to focus on this issue; whether this party is in power or that party is in power, we have to reduce the socio-economic imbalances among students.

          As far as employment is concerned, our country is a growing country. We have a population of 125 crore people in this country. This country needs a lot more educational institutions. I am not telling this. Our former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Raoji said that we need more and more educational institutions because of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation. He was the man responsible for starting of more and more private educational institutions in this country. Our hon. Chief Minister Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu implemented economic reformed in the then unified State of Andhra Pradesh. Due to the efforts made by our hon. Chief Minister Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu, a lot of IT and other engineering graduates are working in US and in other countries.

          Thirdly, the most important thing is research. Unfortunately, many of our educational institutions, both in the private sector and in the public sector, are failing to get good results in the field of research because our teachers, our government and our society are not focussing on research. We are always crazy and passionate about the higher education and research in other countries. As we all know very well, once upon a time we had a great history on higher education.

          Many students from foreign countries used to visit our country to get education specially  from Nalanda, Takshashila and Magadha in ancient days. Our HRD Minister, Shri Javadekarji is a visionary person. I wish that during his tenure itself, he should be in a position to place our higher education system on par to compete with the global education system. For that, we would have to create a world-calls environment in our educational institutions.  Then only, we would be able to attract students around the globe to come to India and get higher education.

          Sir, I would give you one small example.  In Hyderabad, we have very good hospital and medical facilities. We are attracting a large number of patients and medical students   from the Middle East countries to Hyderabad. In a similar way, we can create world  class facilities in our education institutions also.  If we reduce the political interference and if we reduce socio-economic imbalances,  we would definitely be in a position to attract world-class students into our country to get education.

Sir, in India, there is no dearth of intelligence and intellect. The only problem is in coordination and commitment.  But I am very much sure that Javadekar Saheb would bring about positive changes in this regard. I am also sure that he would bring the NIT, Tadepalligudem up to the national level.

Sir, we are simply naming   the national institutions.  I do not know why we are failing to provide the nationality integrity to our students.  If you talk to any students or teachers, first, they would tell their surname, and then, caste, religion and region, etc. Nobody would speak about nationality first; nobody would say that they are Indians first. So, I wish a day will come soon when all our 125 crore Indians will say that they are Indians first; and their name, surname, caste, etc., will come later.

Sir, even the NIT, Warangal, which is one of the famous institutions, now, in Telangana, once upon a time had a severe problem of extremism. Now, they are doing extremely good.  Why I am telling all these things is that the educational institutions are like temple, church and  masjid.  So, we should maintain the holistic atmosphere in our educational institutions. Then only, we would be able to provide quality education to our students.  Actually, we are building the nation by way of giving quality education to our students. Instead of simply giving a textbook knowledge, teachers and people working in the educational institutions should provide knowledge beyond the textbooks and beyond the classrooms.  Then only, our students would be able to face the global competition; then only, we would be in a position to put our educational institutions in the world ranking.

Sir, we have several engineering colleges, and  as some of our friends have also said, due to bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh State, some of these institutions are not doing well. Some had to be shut down owing to low student turnouts and quality considerations.  The other reason for their getting shut down is that we are merely increasing the number of educational institutions, we are merely increasing the number of students, but industrialization is not increasing on par with education.  Just because of this reason, many of the engineering graduates and general graduates are not getting jobs.  That is why, I would request that we should concentrate more in bringing   industrialization on par with education.  Then only, we would be in position to provide more and more jobs to our engineering graduates and other graduates.

Sir, on behalf of the Government of Andhra Pradesh, I convey my sincere thanks to the NDA Government and to our HRD Minister for giving nine institutions in a span of two years.  At the same time, I would also request the hon. Minister to increase the budgetary allocation in this regard.  Then only, we would be able to create more and more quality institutions.

With these words, I conclude. Thank you very much.

                                                                                     

श्री चन्द्रकांत खैरे (औरंगाबाद) : सभापति महोदय, राष्ट्रीय प्रौद्योगिक विज्ञान शिक्षा और अनुसंधान संस्थान संशोधऩ विधेयक, 2016 सदन में प्रस्तुत किया गया है। मैं इसका समर्थन करने के लिए खड़ा हुआ हूं। वर्तमान में भारत में 29 राज्य और 7 केन्द्र शासित प्रदेश हैं। 31 राष्ट्रीय तकनीकी संस्थान, एन.आई.टी. अब तक खुल चुके हैं और कुछ केन्द्र शासित प्रदेशों को राज्यों के साथ एन.आई.टी. के लिए ज्वाइन किया गया है।

          राष्ट्रीय तकनीकी संस्थान, एन.आई.टी., एक राष्ट्रीय महत्व की संस्था है, जो प्रौद्योगिक, प्रबंधन, विज्ञान और इससे जुड़े अन्य विषयों की शिक्षा प्रदान करती है। अभी देश में 31 एन.आइ.टी. हैं, और इसकी कुल 15500 सीटें हैं। मेरा ऐसा मानना है कि एन.आई.टी. में सीटों की संख्या बढ़नी चाहिए। मैं मंत्री महोदय से विनती करूंगा कि यह शिक्षा का एक बहुत अच्छा साधन है और यहां ज्यादा से ज्यादा बच्चों की पढ़ाई हो सकती है, क्योंकि वहां गेस्ट हाऊस वगैराह और अन्य सभी सुविधाएं हैं। और भी बच्चे वहां आ कर अपना ज्ञान बढ़ा सकते हैं। जो बड़े राज्य हैं और जहां जनसंख्या ज्यादा होती है, वहां दो या जैसे जनसंख्या होगी, उसके अनुसार एन.आइ.टी. होने चाहिए। छात्रों को इंजिनियरिंग की शिक्षा गुणवत्ता एवं मानकों के अनुसार मिल सके, इसके लिए आपको इसमें बदलाव करना चाहिए।

          मैं एक उदाहरण देना चाहता हूँ। गोवा की जनसंख्या मेरे जिले से भी कम है और वहां एक एन.आइ.टी. है। महाराष्ट्र की जनसंख्या 11 करोड़ से ऊपर है, और वहां भी एक ही एन.आइ.टी. है, जो सबसे पुराना है, वह नागपुर में है। अभी माननीय मुख्यमंत्री जी नागपुर में ले कर नहीं जाएंगे, इसलिए अभी मराठवाड़ा क्षेत्र में आप एक एन.आइ.टी. खोलिए, अभी विदर्भ में है। मराठवाड़ा के लिए एक एन.आइ.टी. की व्यवस्था कीजिए, ऐसी विनती मैं आपसे करता हूँ, क्योंकि आप भी महाराष्ट्र से हैं, इसलिए यह हो सकता है। हमारा क्षेत्र मराठवाड़ा की राज़धानी है। सभी एजुकेशन हब वहां पर है। इंडस्ट्रियल हब वहां पर है। सारी इंडस्ट्रीज़ भी वहां आ रही हैं। डीएमआईसी भी वहां पर है। इसलिए उसकी एक शाखा हमारे यहां होनी चाहिए। विदर्भ में पहले से है, एक मराठवाड़ा में भी होना चाहिए। सरकार द्वारा चलाए जा रहे इंजिनियरिंग कॉलेजों की संख्या सीमित है। वर्तमान में 31 राष्ट्रीय तकनीकी संस्थान हैं, 23 भारतीय तकनीकी संस्थान (आइ.आइ.टी.) हैं, 20 अंतर्राष्ट्रीय सूचना प्रौद्योगिकी संस्थान (आइ.आइ.आइ.टी.), और 18 सरकारी अनुदान प्राप्त इंजिनियरिंग कॉलेज है। सभी कॉलेजों में कुल सीटें 35 हज़ार हैं। छह नए आइ.आइ.टी. खोले जाने का प्रस्ताव सरकार ने किया है। यह स्वागत योग्य कदम है, परंतु जनसंख्या के आधार पर एन.आइ.टी. की संख्या बढ़ाने की विनती मैं आपसे करूंगा।

          माननीय मंत्री जी से मैं अनुरोध करूंगा कि छात्रहित में उपरोक्त विषय को शीघ्र संज्ञान में ले कर बड़े राज्यों में पर्याप्त संख्या में एन.आइ.टी. खोलने हेतु पर्याप्त कदम उठाना ही पड़ेगा क्योंकि आज-कल बच्चे  इंजीनियरिंग और बाकी उच्चतर शिक्षा में ज्यादा इंट्रेस्ट ले रहे हैं। उसमें मैं कहूँगा कि जैसे नॉर्थ-ईस्ट में जो एन.आइ.टी. है, उसकी स्थिति बहुत कठित होती जा रही है। वहां छात्रों की संख्या भी कम होती जा रही है। वहां आपको सुधार करना पड़ेगा ताकि वहां के बच्चे और भी पढ़ाई कर सकें। वह अच्छी संस्था है, लेकिन उसका नंबर आखरी है। एन.आइ.टी. की जो अच्छी संस्थाएं हैं, उसमें से सबसे टॉप तिरुची में है, वारंगल में है, सुराथकल में है, इलाहबाद में है, कालीकट में है। ये पहली टॉप पांच एन.आइ.टी. हैं। इसमें भी कॉम्पटिशन होता है। कॉम्पटिशन के आधार पर प्राप्त अंकों के अनुसार छात्रों को कहीं भी जाना पड़ता है, जैसा अभी नीट में हुआ है। इसलिए मैं कहूँगा कि नॉर्थ-ईस्ट एन.आइ.टी. को भी उनकी फैकल्टी के लिए, बच्चों के लिए सुधार करना चाहिए।

          एन.आइ.टी. में इस वर्ष से बोर्ड ने एडमिशन फीस बढ़ाने का फैसला किया है। फीस वृद्धि 70 हज़ार रूपये से एक लाख 25 पच्चीस हज़ार रूपये करने का प्रस्ताव आया है। सभी लोग तो एक लाख 25 हज़ार रूपये नहीं भर सकते हैं। उसमें आपको इकनॉमिकल बैकवर्ड क्लास आदि को को कुछ सुविधा देनी चाहिए। क्योंकि बहुत से बच्चे ब्रिलिएंट होते हैं, लेकिन उनके घर में कुछ भी नहीं होता है, वे कुछ भी नहीं कर सकते हैं। उनकी आपके माध्यम से मदद हो सकती है। इसलिए फीस उचित रूप से रखी जानी चाहिए।

          माननीय मंत्री जी के समक्ष कोटा के कोचिंग सैंटर्स में विद्यार्थियों की बढ़ती आत्महत्या की ओर मैं ध्यान दिलाना चाहता हूँ। यह बहुत ही गंभीर मामला है। कोटा में  आत्महत्या की जो भी घटनाएं घट रही हैं, उन पर केंद्र सरकार के विभाग को भी विचार करना चाहिए कि ऐसा क्यों हो रहा है। कोचिंग सैंटर, इंजिनियरिंग और मैडिकल प्रवेश के लिए कक्षा चलाने का यह व्यापार एक लाख करोड़ रूपये से भी अधिक का है।               

16.00 hours           छात्रों पर दवाब काफी अधिक होता है, जिससे वे आत्महत्या करने के लिए मजबूर हो जाते हैं। इस समस्या का समाधान अवश्य निकाला जाना चाहिए, मैं ऐसा आपसे अनुरोध करता हूँ। इस बिल का समर्थन करते हुए मैं माननीय मंत्री जी से विनती करूँगा और मेरी विनती आप मान्य करेंगे, एनआईटी अभी सिर्फ 31 स्थानों पर हैं, जिन राज्यों में छात्रों की संख्या ज्यादा है।  जैसे महाराष्ट्र में एक विदर्भ में हो गया, महाराष्ट्र के मराठवाड़ा के क्षेत्र में भी संभाजी नगर औरंगाबाद में एक एनआईटी होना चाहिए, मैं ऐसी आपसे विनती करता हूँ और बिल का समर्थन करता हूँ। धन्यवाद।

   

SHRI KONDA VISHWESHWAR REDDY (CHEVELLA): Thank you, Sir, for the opportunity.  As per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014, the Government of India shall take steps to establish institutions of national importance in the 12th and 13th Plan periods in the successor State of Andhra Pradesh.  Based on it, the HRD Ministry has decided to set up an NIT.  It is a welcome step for Andhra Pradesh, for the country and also for all the people of Telangana.  It is because, we want our neighbouring States to prosper and we do not want the poor students there to suffer.

The NIT has been set up to cater to the needs of the State of Andhra Pradesh which does not have NIT.  The State of Telangana has an NIT now after the bifurcation.  So it is only fair that Andhra Pradesh does have an NIT.  But, not only NIT, I think it should have IITs; it should have AIIMS and it should have IIITs.  It is because, when our neighbouring States prosper, the country prospers and we prosper.  But, the rich people of Andhra Pradesh can go to Mumbai, Delhi or Hyderabad for higher education.   Hon. Minister Javadekar ji also mentioned that everybody has a right for education right from this end of the House to that end, and here from this end of the House to that end.  They have the right for education.  So, definitely, this is very much required.  Just as NIT is required, IITs, AIIMS and research institutions are required, I think, they also require a High Court.  For education, people have to travel very far. The Rich people can travel; the poor people of Andhra Pradesh cannot travel far for education.  Similarly the poor people of Andhra Pradesh cannot travel all the way to Hyderabad for justice also.  Only the rich who have interest in Hyderabad can come to Hyderabad for justice but the poor in Andhra Pradesh cannot go all the way to Hyderabad for justice.  So, I think, I want you to take cognizance of that.  It is very well needed.

Not only just to establish NIT, we also want the Central Government to provide us adequate funds.  Especially since there is no building, I think, all the required funds should be provided.  But, the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research Act does not define what is an institute of national importance.  Do they get more money?  If so, how much money do they get?  Do they get more land or do they have more posts?  That is very important.  Just like announcing an institution is not sufficient and just naming it an institute of national importance is not sufficient, we have to articulate what exactly construes an institute of national importance and provide the entire wherewithal to the State of Andhra Pradesh.

Sir, I do not have too much to say about this because everybody in the House, so far, has agreed to this.  I am actually going to close hoping you will give more time for my next speech on the IIITs because we are going to discuss deeper aspects of technical education in India which is really falling down.  But I would like to take this opportunity to bring it to the attention of the Ministry, just like NIT is very important for Andhra Pradesh, a tribal university in Telangana also is very important.  I think, without any delay, you should establish the tribal university in Telangana.  The number of seats for the locals also can be considered to be increased because in Telangana we have IIITs, NITs and IITs.  So you can even consider it; I do not think anyone in the House will actually go against it. 

I would like to end my speech by just touching upon this. When we were young, if we got admission to an engineering college, our life was set. But today, if you get admission in an engineering college, I think 90 per cent of them are unemployable and if you get into engineering with computer science, then definitely, you are going to be 99 per cent unemployable.  We need to dwell a little deeper into it when we discuss about IITs. Thank you for the opportunity.

 

SHRI P.K. BIJU (ALATHUR): Sir, this seems to be a small Bill in the vision but it has far reaching implications for our country.  This Bill is to amend the 2007 Act in its first schedule and to incorporate the National Institute of Technology, Andhra Pradesh in place of that. 

          The financial memorandum of this Bill says:

“For the current financial year, an amount of Rs. 40 crore has been allocated for establishment of National Institute of Technology, Andhra Pradesh. An outlay of Rs. 226 crore  (Rs. 94.73 crore as non-recurring towards capital expenditure, Rs. 114.32 crore as recurring expenditure and Rs. 16.72 crore as contingency expenditure) has been  made over a period of three years with the stipulatin that sanction of funds would be on incremental basis after assessing the requirement as part of the annual budgetary exercise. ”   I want to know after three years, who will take the responsibility of this institute?  Will the Central Government again fund it to establish some of our new goals that we have to achieve?  Or will the State Government give some share for the further development of such institution?

          We are closely associated with Standing Committee on HRD from 2009 -2014.  Since that time itself, in 2013, the same Bill was amended and we have thoroughly discussed it in the Standing Committee meeting and submitted that Standing Committee Report before the Parliament. So, I would request the Minister to go through that Report.  We have given so many suggestions.  If one institution from the State is getting the benefit of institution of National importance, what is the reservation policy of that institution?  If you have any reservation in the State, are the existing reservation norms in our country be applicable to that institution also?  But that is not clear.  We have suggested our Standing Committee Report itself to take care of the State reservation in such institutions who got the status of institution of national level.

          In this discussion, I would like to raise some other questions.  Our colleagues have already mentioned some important aspects of the higher education of our country.  We are spending merely two per cent of our Annual Budget for the development of higher education.

          From 2009, I have got chance to speak on this particular subject of higher education.  I have mentioned this thing to increase our higher education expenditure. 

          Our neighbouring country, China, is spending more than what our country is. I am not talking of USA, UK, Canada or about capitalist countries.  They have spent much more than us.  We have established our CSIR laboratory in our country before China.  But China established their CSIR laboratory after we established it. But now, they are producing more Ph.Ds than what our country is producing.  How can they provide such an atmosphere, like infrastructural facility, in their own country?  We are lagging behind.  I have raised this matter in Parliament.  

          What is happening in our institutions of national importance, Central Universities and IITs? We have witnessed one of the things in our Standing Committee meeting itself. The hon. Minister was also there in that Committee. One of the Delhi students approached the Standing Committee Members and even the Chairman of the Standing Committee also. He is from Delhi IIT. They have published a number of papers. They have got national and international credit for that. But even now the faculties in the IIT, Delhi are not ready to sanction and allow him to submit his Ph.D. He belongs to the Dalit community. So, after the intervention of the Standing Committee, finally, they have allowed him to submit his Ph.D.           Sir, I will mention one more thing in this discussion. The Ministry of Human Resource Development has announced to increase the annual fees of IITs from Rs.90,000 to Rs.2 lakh. The previous Government increased it from Rs.50,000 first to Rs.80,000 and then to Rs.90,000. Yesterday, our hon. Minister replied to one of the queries raised on the floor of this House. He replied that the SC/ST and OBC students have got reservation and concession of fees. But the SC/ST students get only 50 per cent concession. You have increased the fees from Rs.90,000 to Rs.2 lakh. That means, they have to pay Rs.1 lakh. How is it possible? What is happening is that even for getting the fee concession, these students from the deprived section have to deposit the fee at the time of admission and that will be reimbursed later.

          I am a victim of this practice. I was a student. I had completed my pre-degree. I joined one degree college. I had got the admission but I could not pay the fees at that time. They had given me one more day. But how can I pay? Today I am coming to Parliament and speaking for the downtrodden people because whatever your Ministry may be, your bureaucrat says, do not do; do not implement it at such level. The students from the deprived section do not have to pay that much of amount from the beginning of their studies. What is going on in the national institutes, in the IITs and in our Central Universities?  Some students are getting admission and then they drop out starting from the next year onwards. I have got representation from the students of Roorkee, IIT. Sir, 18 students were disqualified after one year. They have not reached up to the mark. Who will decide the criteria? Who will decide the norms? It is not from your Ministry. It is by some of the faculties.

          The hon. Deputy Speaker intervened in some of the matters, especially on the shortage of faculties. We have thoroughly discussed it. This is not only because of some people going abroad, and that is why, the vacancies are still continuing. No. The vacancy of SC/ST teaching faculties is because they are not ready to fill up. I have raised this issue. I have sent a letter to the Ministry of HRD. But till today our higher educational institutions are trying to create their institutions as elite institutions. They are not ready to implement the regulation of this country. They are not implementing the reservation norms we are practising in our country. The intention is not to fill up those vacancies. I am ready to accept it. Some of our eminent scholars have got opportunities from the USA, UK and abroad. Some of the institutions have given them more than what we give. They have got opportunities. But we have to select some of the good faculty members, give them good salary and good atmosphere for their research and other studies.

          Sir, I think the present Minister will take care of these things because he has a lot of ideas in this regard. We have worked together. We just changed the name. That will not resolve the whole issue. We have to reframe and change the entire system. In two days, yesterday and today, we have got a lot of inputs from the Members.

          Lakhs of engineering seats are lying vacant in this country. Why is this happening? On the one hand, a lot of students are searching for admission and on the other lakhs of seats are lying vacant. It is because they do not have money to pay what they ask for. That is why these seats are vacant. A huge amount of money is needed for getting admission in the private self-financing institutions. I think that the Government institutes can definitely play a significant role in this regard in our country. In think the hon. HRD Minister will look into this important matter. With these words, I conclude. Thank you very much.

SHRIMATI BUTTA RENUKA (KURNOOL): Thank you, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to speak on the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

          I welcome that this Government is fulfilling some of the commitments made at the time of bifurcation of the State of Andhra Pradesh. This Bill is a part of one such provision in the Andhra Pradesh Re-organization Act, 2014, which stipulated that a National Institute of Technology will be set up in the newly created State of Andhra Pradesh.  I am happy that it has already been set up and is functional. This is a welcome step in the right direction.

          Sir, these institutions have been declared as institutes of national importance alongside the Indian Institutes of Technology. The main objective is to make available facilities for higher education, research and training in various fields of science and technology. Although we can boast of a long history of scientific excellence, science education needs to be implemented across all layers of society and the benefits should be made accessible to the large population of this country.

          Despite our impressive economic growth, scientific research continues to lag behind. Our investment in scientific research is very low compared to other developed countries. This must increase for the benefits to reach the poor and the downtrodden. Insufficient scientific research in India’s private sector seems to be a part of the problem. The large pharmaceutical sector, for example, remains dominated with the generic products rather than original formations. 

          Sir, during the last few decades India’s large population started benefiting and enjoying the outcome of the progress in technology. Space technology has played a significant role in this regard. It is not an exaggeration to say that there is no household in India which does not have a mobile phone or a television.

          The vision of institutes like NITs and IITs is creation of research centres of the highest calibre in which teaching and education in basic sciences will be totally integrated with state-of-the-art research. These institutions are devoted to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in technology and make education a career in basic sciences more attractive by providing opportunities in integrated teaching and learning.

          Sir, the contribution of technology and science institutions is very significant and the students passed out of these institutions are making their presence felt not only in India but also across the globe. We are proud that many of our Indians are heading global organisations. Thus, we have made progress in setting up institutions of higher learning. They are not able to cope up with the growing population. Through their centralised entrance exam, the NITs and IITs recruit students through a rigorous screening process and these students are educated to a very high standard. However, to be able to lift a population of more than 600 million of poverty and to have them participated in the country’s economic development, higher education needs to be a priority. This is where this kind of institutions could have an increasingly important role.

          Science in India still has significant potential for further development. Although scientists from the Subcontinent excel on an international level, the huge potential offered by the country’s young population is far from being fully leveraged.

          Sir, I welcome this Bill considering the fact that it pertains to my State and is a fulfilment of the commitment made at the time of bifurcation. With the bifurcation of the State, the people of Andhra Pradesh have lost many things. Many institutions of national and even global importance - like CCMB, NGRI, Hyderabad Central University, ISB, Survey of India, Nuclear Fuel Complex, ECIL, ICRISAT, NIRD to name a few – have been set up in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh and they have all been set up in Hyderabad which has gone to Telangana. So, the people of newly created Andhra Pradesh are deprived of the development that has taken place and concentrated in Hyderabad over a period of nearly 60 years when they were united. However, we have not lost hope. We will continue to strive and work hard to regain a position of eminence and recognition to the newly created State of Andhra Pradesh.

Sir, we only seek the support and guidance from the Central Government. I request the hon. Prime Minister to honour all the commitments made by his predecessor in Parliament, including the special status to the State of Andhra Pradesh, and support the people at this juncture and bring us all out of depression and despondency. I am sure that the hon. Prime Minister will be sympathetic to this cause.

          Sir, I sincerely thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak on this important Bill.

                                                                                               

 श्री जय प्रकाश नारायण यादव (बाँका) : सभापति महोदय, विचार तथा पारित किए जाने के लिए राष्ट्रीय प्रौद्योगिकी विज्ञान, शिक्षा और अनुसंधान संस्थान (संशोधन) विधेयक, 2016 लाया गया है। मैं इस बिल के बारे में बोलने के लिए खड़ा हुआ हूं।

          सबसे पहले माननीय मंत्री जी, जिन्होंने मानव संसाधन विकास मंत्रालय संभाला है, जावड़ेकर साहब को हम बधाई देते हैं। जिस बिल पर बहस हो रही है, यह आंध्र प्रदेश से जुड़ा हुआ है जिसके पक्ष में हम सब खड़े हैं। नए बड़े संस्थान खुलें और उन्हें अधिक से अधिक संसाधन मिलें, ताकि पढ़ाई-लिखाई का बेहतर असर हो। हमें उच्चतर शिक्षा को बढ़ावा देना चाहिए। ज्ञान ही उजाला है, ज्ञान ही पूर्णमासी है, ज्ञान के बिना अमावस्या, काली रात और अनपढ़ता है, इसलिए टैक्नोलॉजी का जितना विकास हो, ज्ञान का जितना विकास हो, राष्ट्रीय प्रौद्योगिकी संस्थान नीट का जितना विकास हो, यह बेहतर है।

          बिहार में कभी नालन्दा विश्वविद्यालय इतिहास में रहा, जिसे आज भी याद किया जाता है और उसकी बेहतरी की चर्चा होती है। बिहार में ही विक्रमशिला विश्वविद्यालय भी रहा। उसकी भी चर्चा होती है। देश के कई कोनों में राष्ट्रीय प्रोद्योगिकी संस्थान खुले हैं। बिहार में पटना में राष्ट्रीय प्रौद्योगिकी संस्थान मानव संसाधन विकास मंत्रालय, भारत सरकार द्वारा स्थापित किया गया है, यह 18वां राष्ट्रीय संस्थान है, जिसका नया नाम बिहार इंजीनियरिंग कॉलेज पटना है। मैं माननीय मंत्री जी से बिहार पर विशेष ध्यान देने की चर्चा करना चाहता हूं। हम लोग सवाल उठाते रहते हैं कि बिहार को विशेष राज्य का दर्जा दीजिए, बिहार को अधिक से अधिक संसाधन दें, एक मामले में नहीं,  बल्कि वह उसके चतुर्दिक विकास के लिए हो, इसकी लगातार चर्चा होते रहती है।

          बिहार की आबादी कुल आबादी का लगभग साढ़े आठ से नौ परसेंट है। यह आबादी के हिसाब से हो, राज्यों का कोई बंटवारा नहीं हुआ है, लेकिन हम अपना अधिकार जरूर मांगेंगे, अपना हक जरूर मांगेंगे। हम बिहार के बाबत लोकतंत्र के सबसे बड़े मंदिर में अपनी बात रख रहे हैं। बिहार की आबादी के आधार पर इंजीनियरिंग कॉलेज होने चाहिएं, वहां पांच होने चाहिए, आबादी के हिसाब से होने चाहिएं। हम जिस क्षेत्र से आते हैं वह बांका का क्षेत्र है, भागलपुर का क्षेत्र है, वहां प्रौद्योगिकी संस्थान खुले, जैसे मुंगेर है, जमुई है, हमारे दूसरे भाई नालंदा से आते हैं और दूसरे क्षेत्र से आते हैं। शहरी आबादी के कारण ग्रामीण आबादी दब जाती है, वह राख नहीं है, लेकिन जब राख को हटाएंगे तो वहां से ज्ञान की अग्नि प्रज्वलित होगी। शहरी आबादी के कारण गांव की आबादी दब जाती है।

          जवाहर नवोदय विद्यालय खोले गए, आज जहां जवाहर नवोदय विद्यालय खुले हैं, उसका असर स्थानीय गांव के स्कूल के बच्चों के ऊपर पड़ रहा है, उनकी संस्कृति पर पड़ रहा है, उनके संस्कार पर पड़ रहा है, उनकी वेशभूषा पर पड़ रही है। उनकी पढ़ाई-लिखाई पर पड़ रहा है। हम इसे कहीं भी खोलेंगे, हमारे भाई जाएंगे, लेकिन हम लोगों का शहर में नजर नहीं रहना चाहिए। जब हम गांव की बात करेंगे, जब गांव बनेगा, तभी भारत बनेगा और ज्ञान के क्षेत्र में हमारी प्रतिष्ठा विश्व में बढ़ेगी। मेरा  हमेशा मानना रहा है कि गांव बनाओ, तभी देश बनेगा। इसलिए शहरी आबादी के दबाव को रोकने के लिए गांव की ओर जाना चाहिए। शिक्षा की अच्छी गुणवत्ता हो, उसकी क्वांटिटी भी हो, गांव में गरीब हैं, किसान हैं, बिहार के लड़के बाहर पढ़ने जाते हैं। बड़ी संख्या में जाते हैं जिससे समय की बर्बादी होती है, पैसे की बर्बादी होती है और कई तरह की चर्चाएं हो जाती है।

          मैं माननीय मंत्रीप्रकाश जावड़ेकर साहब से मांग करता हूं कि बिहार के छात्र बिहार से बाहर न जाए, इसलिए टेक्नीकल एजुकेशन के मामले में अधिक से अधिक संस्थान बिहार में दिए जाएं और इसको बढ़ाया जाए। इसके साथ-साथ जो नॉन-टेक्नीकल संस्थान हैं, अनस्किल्ड किसान हैं, मजदूर हैं, गरीब हैं, गांव के लोग हैं, पिछड़ी आबादी  के लोग हैं, आपको उनके लिए भी सोचना चाहिए। उसमें भी हुनर है, उसकी अंगुलियों में भी कमाल है, उनमें भी ज्ञान है, उनमें भी क्षमता है, उनमें भी आभा है, लेकिन उस आभा को प्रकट करने के लिए ग्रामीण प्रवेश में उन किसान के बेटों को और उस धारा में रहने वालों को भी ताकत मिलनी चाहिए, जिससे उनकी स्ट्रैन्थ बन सके, उनका मोर्डनाइजेशन हो सके। जो ट्रेडिशनल काम करते हैं उनको बढ़ावा मिल सके। बिहार के छात्रों या अन्य राज्य के छात्रों के पैसे की बर्बादी न हो। केन्द्र-राज्य का समन्वय होना चाहिए, इस पर बैठकर विचार होना चाहिए। बिहार में एनआईटी अधिक से अधिक खोलने  की कार्रवाई की जाए। तकनीकी एडुकेशन है, स्किल डेवलपमेंट की एजुकेशन को ज्यादा विस्तारित किया जाए। हम मांग से बंधे हुए हैं, इस पर चर्चा कर रहे हैं। कई ऐसे संस्थान हैं जो ज्यादा संख्या में खोले जा सकते हैं। कौशल विकास के लिए और क्षेत्रीय क्षमता को बढ़ावा देने के लिए नए-नए इंजीनियरिंग कॉलेज और तकनीकी संस्थान खोले जाएं। मानव शक्ति, मानव ऊर्जा को हम कैसे ज्ञान के क्षेत्र में बढ़ाएंगे, विभिन्न योजनाओं में जोड़ेंगे, विभिन्न क्षेत्रों में जोड़ेंगे इसे और बढ़ाने का काम करेंगे?

          बिहार में पांच नए प्रौद्योगिकी संस्थान और अन्य संस्थान खोलने की मांग करते हुए हम माननीय मंत्री जी से निवेदन करते हैं। मैं इन्हीं शब्दों के साथ अपनी बात समाप्त करता हूं।

 

SHRI NINONG ERING (ARUNACHAL EAST): Mr. Chairman, Sir, I would really thank you and also our Party leader for giving me a chance to speak on this very important Bill – the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2016. While congratulating my very esteemed friend, Mr. Javadekar Ji, I wish to state that he has taken the previous Department leaving aside all party matters and really doing his job. I had an interaction when you were with GLOBE and with other Committees that we had. I know that in this higher education field also, you will stick to your job and will take it  to new heights.

          Who had started the information technology is what I would like to bring to the attention of this august House. The first Prime Minister of India, the late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, with his new vision, had brought up all these institutes and he had a vision that one day India would stand as it is of today. This was followed up, and all of you will know how the mobile came to India and how the information technology came to India. We are now in the Opposition, but at that time we were in the ruling, even then also you have to admit that this was the vision of our great visionary leader, the late Rajiv Gandhi Ji, who took us to the new heights in the field of information technology and research.

          I know that I do not have much to say. The previous speakers like Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Dr. Bose and my very good friend, Shri Jay Panda, have already taken up the issues which we really wanted to take up. Already, as you know, we are speaking on the same subject. The people of Andhra Pradesh expect it. I know that most of the students, especially from the North East, go and study in South. We are grateful to them, to the people of Tamil Nadu, Bengaluru (Karnataka) and Andhra Pradesh because most of our children from the North East go and study there. It is like a brain drain that comes out from the North East. Here, in the case of Andhra also, as the previous speaker had spoken, there are so many engineering colleges, but the main issue is we need quality and not just the quantity.

 

16.32 hours                      (Hon. Deputy-Speaker in the Chair)           Of course, our hon. Deputy-Speaker was also supporting this cause that it is the quality that we need, and what kind of support we can give to these institutions so that we can make them into state-of-the-art institutions or institutions of national importance. How can we support these institutions?

          The NIT, Andhra Pradesh, was established and covered under the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research Act, 2007, to declare it as an institution of national importance, which will ultimately help in addressing the aspirations of the people, and also of the poor students, who are particularly from Andhra Pradesh. It is a very big help. The institution is already there, but because of bifurcation, it is just a formality or legality which is why we have to pass this legislation.

          I would also like to put in a point. We were discussing about the important faculties that are to be taken up. There are already subjects like Computer Science, Electrical, etc., but I would demand that subjects like Environment engineering, Climate Change, which is very important now, Eco-System Studies, Agricultural Engineering, Avionics, and there are various other subjects which we have to ponder over and include them in the courses. I would request the hon. Minister to incorporate these subjects not only in Andhra, but in all the other NITs. We were discussing this issue and Mr. Panda was also saying that for 10,000 police posts, so many students, including engineering graduates, are coming forward to apply for the post of a policeman. We have to create avenues for them. Just having in quantity is not the thing of the day. We have to concentrate on the quality education so that the brain drain that is taking place from India to every part of the world is stopped. We would like that these children should come back and they should stay in India so that we can take our country forward in a better way.

          I would really congratulate the people of Andhra. We wish them all the luck. We hope that the students there will get this benefit from NIT.

 

I would also request for one thing. My constituency is spread over 4000 square kilometres in area. I think, no one has such a big constituency. We need more educational institutions like that in Arunachal Pradesh. I would request you to at least take names of places like Tezu, Namsai, Passighat and Roing where these types of establishments are required. It is a peace-loving State. I am sure, you would look into it.

          Thank you, Sir.

डॉ. उदित राज (उत्तर-पश्चिम दिल्ली) : माननीय उपाध्यक्ष जी, मैं मानव संसाधन मंत्री जी का धन्यवाद करता हूं कि उन्होंने आज सदन में नेशनल इंस्टीटय़ूट आफ टेक्नोलाजी, साइंस एजुकेशन एंड रिसर्च (अमेंडमेंट) बिल 2016 मूव किया है। इसमें 2007 के बाद अमेंडमेंट हो रहा है।

          हमारे देश में सबसे ज्यादा चिंता रिसर्च के क्षेत्र में है। रिसर्च बहुत पुअर क्वालिटी की है। ऐसा नहीं है कि स्टूडेंट्स अच्छे नहीं हैं, टीचर्स अच्छे नहीं हैं, लेकिन जो आईआईटीज़ या एनआईआईटीज़ में हैं, वे सब या तो सिविल सर्विसेज़ की तरफ भागते हैं या मल्टीनेशनल कंपनीज़ की तरफ भागते हैं। उन्हें लगता है कि रिसर्च करने से न पावर मिलेगी, न डिग्निटी मिलेगी और न मनी मिलेगी। दो-तीन फैक्टर्स हैं, जिन्हें हम पी.डी.एम. कहते हैं, पावर, डिग्निटी और मनी। वे डिप्राइव हो जाते हैं, क्योंकि हमारे देश में रिसर्च अच्छी किस्म की नहीं है। चीन ने अगर तरक्की की है, तो इसमें वहां की युनिवर्सिटीज़ और  इंस्टीटय़ूट्स का बहुत बड़ा रोल रहा है। उन्होंने फटाफट बाहर की टेक्नोलाजी को डुप्लीकेट किया और अपने तरीके से मोडिफाई किया। हालांकि हम जो टेक्नोलाजी यूज़ कर रहे हैं, 50 परसेंट एज़ इट इज़ यूज़ कर रहे हैं, लगभग 45 परसेंट टेक्नोलाजी को मोडिफाई करते हैं और लगभग पांच परसेंट टेक्नोलीजी ही इन्वेंट करते हैं, इससे ज्यादा नहीं करते हैं। यह बड़े दुख की बात है, इस सत्र में इस पर लंबी चर्चा होनी चाहिए कि इसकी वजह क्या है।

          हम इतने ज्यादा बिलियन डालर आर्म्स परचेज पर खर्च करते हैं। इसकी वजह है कि हम टेक्नोलाजी को डैवलप नहीं कर पाए। हम एयरक्राफ्ट कभी नहीं बना पाए, रडार, बम आदि नहीं बना पाते हैं। अगर हमारी रिसर्च अच्छी होती तो हम इन्हें बना पाते। इज़रायल, अमेरिका आदि देशों से हम आर्म्स खरीदते हैं और हजारों लोखों करोड़ रुपए की पेमेंट करते हैं। हम इसे बचा सकते थे और देश की तरक्की कर सकते थे। अभी बोस जी ने कोरपस के बारे में कहा, हार्वर्ड के कोरपस को वहां के प्राइवेट सैक्टर ने बनाया। हमारे यहां का प्राइवेट सैक्टर ऐसा करता नहीं है। बिल गेट्स, वॉरेन बफेट जैसा दिल हम कहां से लाएं, हमारा कारपोरेट सैक्टर तो प्राफिट बनाने में लगा रहता है। बिल गेट्स ने मुनाफे का लगभग 30 बिलियन डॉलर और वारेन बफेट ने लगभग 35 बिलियन डॉलर चैरिटी के लिए दिया, एजुकेशन के लिए दिया। मेरा ख्याल है कि लगभग दो बिलियन डालर भारत में लगा है। लेकिन वह दिल हमारे लोगों में नहीं है, तो क्या किया जा सकता है? उस पर साउथ में चर्चा की जानी चाहिए कि प्राइवेट सैक्टर का रोल इसमें क्यों नहीं आ रहा है? वहां के जो सैंटर ऑफ एक्सीलैंस हैं,  उनमें प्राइवेट सैक्टर का रोल बहुत ज्यादा है। हमारे यहां प्राइवेट सैक्टर का रोल बिल्कुल नहीं है। केवल टेक्नोलॉजी बाहर से ले आनी है। गवर्नमैंट में जो भी ईज़ाद करते हैं, उससे प्रोडक्ट बनाकर केवल प्रॉफिट कमाना मोटिव रह गया है। मुझे लगता है कि उन्हें भी अपने प्राइवेट सैक्टर के ऊपर सेंसिटाइज करने की आवश्यकता है।

          उपाध्यक्ष महोदय, मैं मंत्री महोदय का ध्यान इस ओर जरूर आकर्षित करना चाहूंगा कि why is it not happening? मैं एक बात और कहना चाहूंगा कि हमारे पास पांच हजार इंजीनियरिंग इंस्टीटय़ूट्स हैं, जिनमें से लगभग 1400 या 1500 इंस्टीटय़ूट्स गवर्नमैंट में हैं। जो इंस्टीटय़ूट प्राइवेट सैक्टर में हैं, वे सीटों की एप्रूवल लेते हैं। ऐसे तमाम लोग मुझे एप्रोच करते थे कि इतना पैसा देने से हमारी इतनी सीटें बढ़ जायेंगी, यानी वे पहले सीटें खरीदते हैं और फिर उन्हें बेचते हैं। वहां के स्टूडैंट्स आज पांच-छः हजार रुपये या दस  हजार रुपये मंथली रोजगार के लिए मोहताज हैं। एक तरह से ब्लेटेंट साइन्स और इंजीनियरिंग में हैं। इसके ऊपर कुछ न कुछ विचार किया जाना चाहिए, वर्ना डिटेरियोरेशन बहुत होता चला जायेगा। उसका एक प्रैक्टिकल ओरियएंटेशन हमारे यहां नहीं है। यहां प्योर साइंस पर ज्यादा ध्यान है। जैसे हम बाहर के देशों में जाते हैं तो कोशिश करते हैं कि वहां के कैम्पस में जाकर देखें। पिछली बार मैं इंडियाना यूनीवर्सिटी में गया था। इस बार मैंने येल यूनीवर्सिटी में देखा कि वहां प्रैक्टिकल बहुत है। अब प्रैक्टिकल होने से वही लोग आ पाते हैं, जिनका इंटरेस्ट साइंस, टेक्नोलॉजी और कम्प्यूटर में है। यहां पर लोग जॉब की वजह से आते हैं। What is worse?

          जब मैं जे.एन.य़ू. में सिविल सर्विसेज की तैयारी कर रहा था, तो बगल में आई.आई.टी. दिल्ली के जो एस्पेरेंट्स थे, वे यहां रिसर्च करने के लिए आये थे, लेकिन वे भी सिविल सर्विसेज की तैयारी करते थे। जब हमें चाय पीने की तलब होती थी, तो माना जाता था कि आई.आई.टी. में चाय का ढाबा चौबीसों घंटे खुला रहता है। सारा होस्टल सिविल सर्विसेज की तैयारी करता रहता था। उनकी फर्स्ट प्रेफरेन्स यह होती है कि पहले सिविल सर्वेन्ट बन जायें। अगर वह नहीं हो पाता तो फिर कारपोरेट सैक्टर में जाते हैं। इसके साथ-साथ वहां जो एमटेक में एडमिशन लेते हैं, वे बीटेक वाले नहीं लेते। बीटेक वाले कहीं विदेश चले जाते हैं या सिविल सर्विसेज में चले जाते हैं। वहां दूसरी यूनीवर्सिटी से लोग आकर एमटेक में एडमिशन लेते हैं, जिसकी वजह से रिसर्च की क्वालिटी बहुत ही पुअर है। रेशियो में बताया गया कि our research is much lower as compared to China and other countries.  इसके ऊपर एक लंबी चर्चा करने की आवश्यकता है। चूंकि यह जी.डी.पी. से भी जुड़ा हुआ है, ग्रोथ से भी जुड़ा हुआ है। हम दुनिया से जो टेक्नोलॉजी उधार लेते रहते हैं, उसका अंत होना चाहिए। यह अंत हो सकता है। मुझे यकीन है कि इसकी शुरुआत होगी, लेकिन यह अवसर नहीं है कि इसके ऊपर चर्चा की जानी चाहिए। अब चाहे जिसकी सरकार हो, हमारी सरकार हो या पहले की सरकार हो, सब सरकारों को दोष देते हैं कि सरकार को एजुकेशन में यह करना चाहिए, वह करना चाहिए। सरकार स्टूडैंट से जबरदस्ती रिसर्च नहीं करा सकती। अब एन्वायर्नमैंट इस तरह का है कि इसमें पावर नहीं लगती, क्योंकि यह बात सच है कि जो प्रोफेसर्स होते हैं, उन्हें इतनी डिग्निटी नहीं मिलती, उतनी पावर नहीं मिलती। मनी के टर्म्स में भी they do not get much money also. ये सारे फैक्टर्स हैं, जिन्हें हमें देखने की आवश्यकता है।

          अंत में, मैं मंत्री महोदय को फिर से धन्यवाद देता हूं कि उन्होंने आंध्र प्रदेश को एक बहुत अच्छा उपहार दिया। धन्यवाद।                                               

SHRI PREM  DAS RAI (SIKKIM): Thank you, Deputy Speaker, Sir, for allowing me to participate in this debate on the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2016.    Sir, a lot has already been said on the issues related to our institutes of technology and I do not want to flag those issues all over again. They are related to resource, human resource, faculty, research orientation, etc. I will take just five minutes.

          What I would like to say is that today we require multi-disciplinary kind of education and what I find is that we are creating more and more IITs and NITs.  The question is whether we are looking into a holistic multi-disciplinary education.  Therefore, I think it has been in our scheme of things to create more and more engineers because this great nation requires many more engineers.  But are those engineers being trained in social sciences, for instance, or in understanding the history of our country or for that matter in communication?  Today, we all know that the cutting edge of science and research is in artificial intelligence or it is in gene splicing or it is in nano-technology and finding solutions for humankind.  We are in the forefront even in space science.  But wherever human beings are needed, there is a need to understand the holistic way, the way in which society is built, the way in which humans interact with machines or for that matter how our society is built. 

Somehow, we have to find a pathway to bring NITs into building better universities.  For instance, IITs can also at some stage become greater institutions of higher learning in the university format and this is something which the hon. Minister may like to think about.  This is where we need to spend a lot more time thinking.  It is because frankly we have seen many of these Bills which were there in 15th Lok Sabha and there is nothing that has changed in terms of thinking when an amendment Bill of this kind comes in the 16th Lok Sabha.  Where is the extra thinking that we are doing is the question I would like to pose before the Government. 

Having said that, there is a National Institute of Technology even in Sikkim.  I am thankful and grateful that we have one such institution in our State.  Our Government has also allocated the space but I think we have to request the Director of NIT there to accept the space that we have given.  The land that we have given is very close to the new airport that is coming up.  So, the faculty can come in and go out and anyone visiting the NIT can come in and go out of the airport.  I was talking to the Civil Aviation Minister yesterday and he hopes to complete it within this year.  This is something which I would like to bring to your notice. 

Research relevant to Sikkim or relevant to that area needs to be done.  For instance, NIT can be tasked with the research on mountain railways.  We do have a need for building mountain railways, especially if you are taking railways right up to the Nathu La Pass which is almost 14,000 feet.  So, they can do the relevant kind of research in places like NIT. 

With that, I again support this Bill but with the rider that I think there is a lot more thinking that we need to do to fashion out a much more multi-disciplinary approach in our education process.  Of course, the issues of faculty not being there or funds not being there have already been said by previous speakers.  So, I do not want to go into those areas.  Thank you for allowing me to participate in this debate. 

डॉ. अरुण कुमार (जहानाबाद) :  माननीय उपाध्यक्ष जी, नेशनल इंस्टीटय़ूट ऑफ साइंस एजुकेशन 2016 के इस बिल का समर्थन करते हुए मैं 2-3 बातों की ओर माननीय मानव संसाधन मंत्री जी का ध्यान आकर्षित करना चाहूंगा। निश्चित तौर से देश में पिछले 25-30 वर्षों में शिक्षा के क्षेत्र में भारी गिरावट आई है और शिक्षा का संबंध रोटी से ज्यादा हुआ है, जबकि शिक्षा का संबंध हजारों वर्षों से इस देश में ज्ञान से रहा है। मैं माननीय मंत्री जी से कहना चाहूंगा कि शिक्षा में बुनियादी परिवर्तन की जरूरत है। अब इसमें कौन कौन से आयाम हैं, जिनकी वजह से इस तरह का वातावरण निर्मित हुआ। हम मानते हैं कि शिक्षकों का सम्मान देश में खेत-खलिहान से लेकर राजधानी तक में गिरा है और ये ही राष्ट्रनिर्माता हैं। जीवन के हर क्षेत्र में जो क्वॉलिटी जानी चाहिए, वह तभी संभव है जब शिक्षक इस विचार के हों, जिनमें राष्ट्र निर्माण का संकल्प हो, चाहे वह विज्ञान का क्षेत्र हो या राजनीति का क्षेत्र हो, चाहे मानवीय सवालों-संवेदनशीलता का क्षेत्र हो, जीवन का कोई भी क्षेत्र हो, बिना संकल्पित शिक्षक के यह संभव नहीं है।

          आध्र प्रदेश को नये राज्य के निर्माण के साथ आपने एक तोहफा हायर एजुकेशन के लिए दिया है, मैं इसके लिए बधाई देना चाहूंगा, लेकिन साथ ही यह कहना चाहूंगा कि जो नेशनल इंस्टीटय़ूट्स हैं, पहले के दिनों में सैनिक स्कूल इत्यादि इस तरह की संस्थाएं थीं, जहां से ग्रामीण परिवेश के बच्चे, जो लोअर मिडिल इंकम ग्रुप के बच्चे, जिनमें तेजस्व होता था, उनका संरक्षण वहां होता था। उनकी आय के हिसाब से वहां फीस ली जाती थी।

          इसलिए चाहे प्राइमरी एजुकेशन हो, सैकेंडरी एजुकेशन हो या हायर एजुकेशन हो, इसमें भी जो एक प्रयोग हमारे यहां हो चुका है, जिसकी वजह से देश और दुनिया में हमने कंट्रीब्यूट किया है, चाहे वह वशिष्ठ नारायण सिंह हों, जिन्होंने मैथमैटिक्स के क्षेत्र में एक बड़ा कंट्रीब्यूशन दिया, यह बात दुनिया के लोग जानते हैं। आज भी चाहे वह लेट कल्पना चावला हों,  राकेश शर्मा हों या डॉ. खुराना हों, मैं कहना चाहता हूं कि हमारे देश में मेघा की कमी नहीं है। आज एक साधारण घर में पैदा हुआ व्यक्ति एक फोर्थ ग्रेड एम्प्लाई का बेटा आनंद कुमार मैथमैटिकल विज़ार्ड के रूप में केवल अपने जुनून के बलबूते पर, अपने संघर्ष से आज सुपर 30 के नाम से जाना जाता है और जो गरीब बच्चों को शिक्षित करता है तथा वे बच्चे जिनके पिता अंडे बेचते हैं, रिक्शा चलाते हैं, ऐसे 30 मेधावी आई.आई.टियन को वह प्रतिवर्ष पैदा करता है। बिहार के गया में एक छोटी सी पटवा टोली है जहां दस साल पहले मैट्रिक पास लोग नहीं मिलते थे, वहां पर पिछले दस वर्षों में 500 आई.आई.टियन पैदा किये हैं और कुछ बच्चों के संकल्प से यह संभव हो पाया है। गरीबी में भी लोग संघर्ष के रास्ते को ढ़ूंढ़ रहे हैं।

           इसलिए हम गुजारिश करना चाहेंगे कि कहीं न कहीं हमारी शिक्षा दिशाभ्रम की शिकार हुई है और शिक्षकों का सम्मान घटा है। यदि शिक्षक को हम सम्मानित करें और गांवों-खेत-खलिहान से जो मेघावी छात्र हैं, डिग्री लेने वाले बहुत लोग हैं, माननीय सदस्य ने ठीक ही कहा, 5000 इंजीनियरिंग कॉलेज हैं और ऐसे भी इंजीनियरिंग कॉलेज हैं, जहां के बच्चे हम लोगों के पास आते हैं औऱ उनको एक मजदूर से भी कम तनख्वाह पर लोग रखते हैं। वहां ऐसी हालत भी है। इसलिए हमें शिक्षा के डायरैक्शन को एक संकल्प के साथ आगे बढ़ाना चाहिए, ताकि शिक्षा सिर्फ रोटी से न जुड़ कर, ज्ञान से जुड़े, जिसने हमें विश्व गुरु के रूप में स्थापित किया है और आज भी इन विपरीत परिस्थितियों में भी भारत पूरी दूनिया में अपनी मेधा के लिए जाना जाता है, यह 25-30 वर्षों में हुआ है। हमारी सरकार ने एक नये भारत के निर्माण का संकल्प लिया है तो निश्चित तौर से शैक्षणिक वातावरण के निर्माण से विकास के सारे आयाम खुलेंगे। एक ही कुंजी है, जिससे सारे ताले खुल सकते हैं, इसलिए इस दिशा में एक विशेष पहल करने की जरूरत है।

          इसी के साथ, मैं इस बिल का समर्थन करता हूं और माननीय उपाध्यक्ष महोदय को धन्यवाद देता हूं।                                                          

श्री बदरुद्दीन अजमल (धुबरी):  सर, मैं सबसे पहले आपका शुक्रिया अदा करता हूं कि आपने इस महत्वपूर्ण बिल पर मुझे बोलने का मौका दिया है। मैं इसके सपोर्ट में बोलने के लिए खड़ा हुआ हूं। यह मुल्क की बहुत ही अहम जरूरत है और आंध्र प्रदेश को यह मिलना चाहिए, मैं इसको भी सपोर्ट करता हूं। इसकी तरक्की होनी चाहिए, मैं इसका भी सपोर्ट करता हूं और इसको आगे बढ़ाना चाहिए, मैं इसका भी सपोर्ट करता हूं।

          सर, इसी के साथ हमारा कहना है कि हम ऊपर की सतह की बात कर रहे हैं। अभी हमारे साथी जो कह रहे थे कि गांव-देहात के बच्चों को, गरीबों के बच्चों को, जिनके मां-बाप के पास उन्हें फीस देने के लिए पैसा नहीं है, वे फीस अफोर्ड नहीं कर पाते हैं, अच्छे-अच्छे ब्रिलियंट बच्चे ड्रॉप आउट हो जाते हैं या फिर वे पढ़ना छोड़ देते हैं। हम किस तरीके से उन कीमती हीरों को निकाल कर ऊपर लाने की कोशिश कर सकते हैं, इसमें हमारा और सरकार का कितना योगदान हो सकता है, सरकार इसमें कितनी कुर्बानियां दे सकती है। गांव-खेड़ों से ही हमारे किसान के बच्चे निकलते हैं, गांव का लगाव जज्बाती है। जब तक हम गांव के बच्चों को ऊपर नहीं उठायेंगे, उन बच्चों को पढ़ाने की कोशिश नहीं करेंगे, उनको आगे नहीं ले जायेंगे, वे हमारे कीमती हीरे हैं, अगर हम ने उन कीमती हीरों को तराश कर आगे बढ़ा दिया तो वे वाकई मुल्क के लिए कीमती असासः हो जाता है, पूरी दूनिया के लिए मिसाल हो जाती है, जिसकी मिसाल अभी हमारे भाई साहब ने दी है, लेकिन इसी के साथ हमारा यह कहना है कि हम उन बच्चों के ऊपर ध्यान दें।

          हमारे बहुत-से साथियों ने फीस के बारे में चर्चा की है। हम सिर्फ यह न समझें कि जो बच्चे एन.आई.आई.टी में जाते हैं, वे सिर्फ पैसे वालों के बच्चे होते हैं। फीस जितना मुमकिन हो सके, एजुकशन फ्री, एजुकेशन फ्रैंकली या एजुकेशन फ्रेंडली जिसको कहते हैं, उस हिसाब से जितना मुमकिन हो, जैसे हम रक्षा विभाग में जितना खर्च कर रहे हैं, उससे कहीं ज्यादा, अगर हमारे बच्चे पढ़-लिख कर आगे बढ़ जायेंगे तो शायद वे देश की हिफाजत उससे ज्यादा कर सकते हैं। हमें रक्षा के क्षेत्र में खर्च करने की जरूरत है, हथियारों  में भी खर्च करने की जरूरत है, लेकिन हमारे देश के लोग पढ़े-लिखे हो जायेंगे, संजीदा हो जायेंगे तो शायद उस लाइन में हमें कम खर्च करना पड़ेगा। हम मैन पावर को बनाने की कोशिश करें, क्योंकि इस लाइन में हमें बहुत ज्यादा जरूरत है।

          मैं नॉर्थ-ईस्ट की बात कहना चाहूंगा कि आपने नॉर्थ-ईस्ट में दो एन.आई.आई.टीज दिये, इसके लिए हम पहले की सरकार के भी शुक्रगुज़ार हैं और आपके भी शुक्रगुज़ार हैं। आपके आने से कम से कम मुझे बहुत उम्मीद हुई है, क्योंकि आपके साथ मेरा एक पर्सनल रिलेशन है। इसलिए मैं चाहूंगा कि हमारे सिल्चर के एन.आई.आई.टी. और गुवाहाटी...(व्यवधान) बिल्कुल है, छोटे भाई और बड़े भाई का रिलेशन है। आपके साथ भी मेरा रिलेशन रहा है। मैं आपके अंडर में काम कर चुका हूं, इसलिए मेरा यह कहना कि नॉर्थ-ईस्ट में गुवाहाटी और सिल्चर के जो दोनों एन.आई.आई.टीज हैं, उन पर आपकी तवज्जो चाहूंगा। अभी, मैंने कहा कि अरुणाचल प्रदेश में बाकायदा यह होना चाहिए, लेकिन इन दोनों के लिए आप खुद विजिट करें, वहां की समस्या को देखें, वह बहुत-सी चीजें में पीछे है। वैसे भी    नॉर्थ-ईस्ट में बच्चे कम आते हैं, इसलिए आप खास कर उसके ऊपर ध्यान देंगे, यह मेरा निवेदन है। इंशा अल्लाह, आपने मुझे इस मामले पर बोलने का मौका दिया। खास कर के, मैं दुआएं देता हूं, मेरी दुआएं जावड़ेकर साहब के साथ हैं कि आप तरक्की करें और ऊपर जायें और इन चीजों को आगे बढ़ायें, यह मेरी आशा है। बहुत-बहुत शुक्रिया।

 

17.00 hours श्री रत्न लाल कटारिया (अम्बाला) : महोदय, मैं आदरणीय जावड़ेकर जी द्वारा लाए गए इस बिल का समर्थन करने के लिए खड़ा हुआ हूं। आज से कुछ दिनों पश्चात देश अपनी आजादी की 70वीं वर्षगांठ मनाएगा और इन 70 वर्षों में हमने बहुत सफर तय किया है। जहां वर्ष 1955 में हम केवल 8 रीजनल एन.आई.टी. से शुरू हुए और वर्ष 1991 में हिंदुस्तान के अंदर ग्लोबलाइजेशन एंड लिब्रलाइजेशन का एक युग शुरू हुआ, जिसके अंतर्गत हम 17 एन.आई.टीज. को शुरू करने में सफल रहे। इसके पश्चात श्रद्धेय अटल बिहारी वाजपेयी जी का युग शुरू हुआ जिन्होंने हिंदुस्तान की तरक्की में नए-नए कीर्तिमान स्थापित किए और क्वालिटी एजुकेशन की दृष्टि से भी हिंदुस्तान में नए-नए संस्थान खड़े किए। आज फिर जननायक भारत माता के लाल नरेन्द्र मोदी जी के नेतृत्व में एक के बाद एक क्रांतिकारी निर्णय लेकर भारत को विश्व मंच पर खड़ा करने के लिए दिन-रात मेहनत हो रही है और आंध्र प्रदेश में एन.आई.टी. का जो बिल आ रहा है यह भी उसी दिशा में एक क़दम है।

          महोदय, आज इस महान सदन में देश के अंदर हाई क्वालिटी एजुकेशन को लेकर चर्चा हो रही है। कहीं पर यह बात भी आ रही है कि इन 70 वर्षों में हमने क्या पाया है और क्या खोया है। हमारे इस सिस्टम में कहां-कहां कमियां रहीं और यह बात भी आ रही है कि आज हमारा इंजीनियर आठ-नौ हजार रुपए महीने पर नौकरी करने के लिए मजबूर है। इसके साथ एक दूसरा परिदृश्य भी देश में देखने को मिल रहा है कि हमारी टेक्नोलोजी ने, हमारे एन.आई.टी. के केंद्रों ने ऐसे-ऐसे प्रतिभावान लोग भी पैदा किए हैं जिन्होंने आज हिंदुस्तान के अंदर एक मछुआरे के हाथ में भी मोबाइल फोन दिया है और वह मछुआरा बीच समुद्र में अपने माल की मार्केटिंग करने में सक्षम है और जहां उसे माल बेचना है उससे फोन करके पूछता है कि आज कौन-सी किस्म की मछली पकड़ कर भेजूं - झींगा मछली पकड़ूं या सालमन मछली पकड़ूं। आज मोबाइल फोन के माध्यम से थ्री-व्हीलर वाला भी अपने दूसरे साथी से संपर्क करता है कि सवारी कहां खड़ी है। यह इंफोर्मेशन एंड टेक्नोलोजी का कमाल हमारे देश में हो रहा है और हमें इस दिशा में आगे बढ़ने की जरूरत है। यह बात ठीक है कि हमारे सामने दूसरे चैलेंजिज भी हैं।

          आज हम सदन में बात कर रहे हैं कि क्वालिटी नहीं आ रही है, यह हाल तो तब है कि बिना क्वालिटी के हमारे नवयुवकों ने सारी दुनिया में ऐसी धूम मचाई है कि बराक ओबामा भी मजबूर है  अमरीका की यूनिवर्सिटी में जा कर अपने छात्रों को कहने के लिए कि पढ़ने लग जाओ, नहीं तो भारत के विद्यार्थी आने वाले समय में सारी नौकरियां छीन लेंगे, इस तरह का वातावरण भी आज दुनिया में दिखाई पड़ रहा है। यह बात सही है कि चीन के मुकाबले हम थोड़ा कमजोर दिखाई पड़ रहे हैं। रिसर्च के क्षेत्र में जो बात सामने आई है, उसे हमें और गंभीरता से लेने की जरूरत है और चीन के अंदर भी एक भय का वातावरण है कि जिस तरह से हमारे बच्चे इंग्लिश को पकड़ते हैं, वैसा वातावरण चीन में देखने को नहीं मिलता है। हालांकि वे अपने बच्चों को इंग्लिश पढ़ाने की पूरी कोशिश कर रहे हैं लेकिन उसके मुकाबले भारतीय बच्चे अंग्रेजी भाषा को बहुत तेजी से पकड़ रहे हैं।

          मैं आदरणीय मंत्री जी से प्रार्थना करना चाहूंगा कि देश में और भी सैंटर फार एक्सिलेंस खोल कर हमारे प्रतिभावान बच्चों को आगे बढ़ाने की जरूरत है। मैं मंत्री जी से यह भी प्रार्थना करना चाहूंगा कि आदरणीय नरेन्द्र मोदी जी ने देश के दलितों के लिए, देश की महिलाओं के लिए स्टार्ट अप एंड स्टैंड अप की एक योजना बनाई है जिसके अंदर 10 हजार करोड़ रुपयों का भी प्रावधान किया गया है। मैं मंत्री जी से यह निवेदन करना चाहूंगा कि इसका फायदा हिंदुस्तान की महिलाओं को, हिंदुस्तान के दलितों को तब तक नहीं मिलेगा जब तक कि उन्हें पढ़ने के अच्छे अवसर नहीं मिलेंगे।

          मैं माननीय मंत्री महोदय से यह निवेदन करना चाहूँगा कि इसका फायदा हिन्दुस्तान की महिलाओं और दलितों को तब तक नहीं मिलेगा, जब तक कि उनको पढ़ने के अच्छे अवसर नहीं मिलेंगे, जब तक उन बच्चों को समय पर छात्रवृत्ति की राशि नहीं मिलेगी। ...(व्यवधान) चौटाला जी, जितना मान-सम्मान जननायक श्री नरेन्द्र मोदी जी ने बाबा साहब डॉ. भीमराव अम्बेडकर जी को दिया है, मैं भी 50 साल से एक कार्यकर्ता के रूप में कार्य कर रहा हूँ, उतना सम्मान आज तक हिन्दुस्तान में उनको नहीं मिला है।

          आज एनआईटी की बात हो रही है। मैं मंत्री जी से यह भी प्रार्थना करना चाहूँगा कि मैं हरियाणा प्रदेश के अम्बाला लोक सभा क्षेत्र से आता हूँ, जो एक आरक्षित क्षेत्र है और पहाड़ों से लगा हुआ है। इसका 175 किलोमीटर क्षेत्र पहाड़ों से लगा हुआ है। आज यह राष्ट्र बाबा साहब डॉ. भीमराव अम्बेडकर जी की 125वीं जयंती मना रहा है। मैं आदरणीय मंत्री महोदय से यह प्रार्थना करता हूँ कि जिस प्रकार आज आध्र प्रदेश में एनआईटी के सेन्टर की स्थापना से संबंधित बिल आज मंजूर होने जा रहा है, मेरी प्रार्थना है, आदरणीय मंत्री जी मेरे बहुत पुराने मित्र भी हैं, लगभग 40 साल पुराने मित्र हैं, इन्होंने हमारा वह क्षेत्र भी देखा है कि किस प्रकार की परिस्थितियों में हम वहाँ पर दलित बस्तियों के बीच में रहते हैं। इसलिए आदरणीय मंत्री जी, मेरे लोक सभा क्षेत्र में भी कोई नैशनल लेवल की इसी प्रकार का कोई इंस्टीट्शन खोलने की कृपा करें। इसी के साथ मैं इस बिल का समर्थन करता हूँ।

श्री संतोष कुमार (पूर्णिया) : उपाध्यक्ष महोदय, आपने मुझे राष्ट्रीय प्रौद्योगिकी, विज्ञान शिक्षा और अनुसंधान संस्थान (संशोधन) विधेयक, 2016 पर बोलने का मौका दिया है, इसके लिए मैं आपको धन्यवाद देता हूँ।

          महोदय, सरकार इस विधेयक के माध्यम से एनआईटी, आध्र प्रदेश, जो पहले से ही स्थापित है, उसे अगस्त, 2015 से पंजीकृत करने के लिए कानूनी वैद्यता की व्यवस्था करने जा रही है। साथ ही, इसे पहली सूची में शामिल करने का प्रावधान किया जाएगा। यह अच्छी बात है। इस कानूनी वैद्यता से संस्थान की प्रशासनिक एवं अकादमिक गतिविधियों में जनता के प्रति उच्च स्तरीय जवाबदेही और समस्त हिस्सेदारी की सहभागिता भी सुनिश्चित हो पाएगी। इस संस्था में राज्य के विद्यार्थियों के लिए 50 प्रतिशत सीटें आरक्षित होंगी और मात्र आधी सीटें ही अन्य राज्यों के छात्रों के लिए उपलब्ध होंगी। इससे राज्य को काफी फायदा होगा।     

          मैं बिहार से आता हूँ। यह राज्य देश के सबसे पिछड़े राज्यों की श्रेणी में है। यहाँ की आबादी के अनुपात में, अन्य राज्यों में स्थापित एनआईटीज़ को ध्यान में रखते हुए बिहार में कम से कम पाँच अतिरिक्त एनआईटीज़ स्थापित करने की दिशा में सरकार कार्य करे ताकि बिहार के स्थानीय विद्यार्थियों को शैक्षणिक लाभ मिल सके। सरकार सभी राज्यों में कम से कम एक एनआईटी की स्थापना को मंजूरी देकर बिहार जैसे अत्यधिक पिछड़ी आबादी वाले राज्य के साथ क्या न्याय कर रही है? बिहार में उच्चतर शिक्षण संस्थाओं की कमी है, इस कारण राज्य से लाखों विद्यार्थी प्रति वर्ष दूसरे राज्यों की ओर पलायन करने को मजबूर हैं। इस क्रम में जिन विद्यार्थियों की पारिवारिक एवं आर्थिक स्थिति अच्छी है वह तो दूसरे राज्य में जाकर शिक्षा ग्रहण कर लेते हैं, किन्तु उन गरीब विद्यार्थियों के बारे में सरकार ने क्या कभी विचार किया है कि उनको अपने ही राज्य में अच्छी शिक्षा किस प्रकार से मिले? विशेषकर दलित, अति पिछड़े और अल्पसंख्यक समुदाय के लोगों के बच्चे काफी प्रतिभावान होते हैं, लेकिन उनकी आर्थिक स्थिति नाजुक होने के कारण उच्च शिक्षा ग्रहण करने के बारे में सोच भी नहीं पाते हैं। जहां तक मुझे जानकारी है बिहार सरकार पिछले कई वर्षों से बिहार में एनआईटी की स्थापना के लिए प्रयासरत है और केन्द्र के पास इसके लिए कई आवेदन कर चुकी है, किन्तु केन्द्र सरकार राज्य के साथ राजनीतिक भेदभाव करती है और इसी का परिणाम है कि बिहार जैसे अति घनी आबादी वाले राज्य में एनआईटी जैसे संस्थानों की कमी है। बिहार में कम से कम पांच एनआईटी जैसे उच्चतर शिक्षण संस्थान खोले जाने की जरूरत है।       

         

          अतः मैं सरकार से निवेदन करता हूं कि बिहार को उसका हक दिया जाए और वहां के प्रतिभावान विद्यार्थियों के लिए उच्चतर शिक्षा ग्रहण करने हेतु पांच नये एनआईटी की स्थापना करने की दिशा में काम किया जाए।

          इन्हीं शब्दों के साथ मैं अपनी बात समाप्त करता हूं। धन्यवाद।

श्री दुष्यंत चौटाला (हिसार) : धन्यवादउपाध्यक्ष महोदय, The National Institutes of technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2016 पर बोलने के लिए मैं खड़ा हुआ हूं।

          महोदय, हम जब एनआईटी की बात करते हैं तो यह एक बहुत महत्वपूर्ण हिस्सा हमारे देश के इंस्टीटय़ुशन्स का है। इस देश के बहुत से टैलेंटिड लोग एनआईटी जैसे इंस्टीटय़ूट से निकलकर देश ही नहीं, अपितु दुनिया में हिन्दुस्तान के नाम को रोशन करने का काम कर रहे हैं।

          महोदय, हमारे आंध्र प्रदेश के साथियों ने इसकी मांग की, क्योंकि जब तेलंगाना और आंध्र प्रदेश को अलग-अलग किया गया तो यह बात रखी गयी थी कि आंध्र प्रदेश में भी एनआईटी खोला जाना चाहिए। यह बहुत जरूरी है कि इस देश के प्रत्येक प्रदेश में, चाहे वह हमारी सेवन सिस्टर्स स्टेट्स हों, चाहे वह लक्षद्वीप और अंडमान निकोबार जैसे आईलैंड्स हों, हमें एनआईटी, आईआईटी और आईआईएम लेवल के इंस्टीटय़ुट्स खोलने की जरूरत है ताकि वह हमारी आने वाली भविष्य की जनरेशन को अच्छी शिक्षा और टेक्नोलॉजी के साथ ईक्यूप कर पाएं।

          महोदय, हम एक ओर तो नये इंस्टीटय़ुट्स बनाने की बात करते हैं, लेकिन दूसरी तरफ हमें यह बहुत गम्भीरता के साथ सोचना पड़ेगा कि क्या हमारे पास आज एजुकेटिड, क्वालीफाइड और ट्रैंड प्रोफेसर्स हैं? क्या हमारे पास इतना इंफ्रास्ट्रक्चर है कि हम ऐसे इंस्टीटय़ुट्स को प्रत्येक स्टेट में खोलने का काम कर सकें?

          महोदय, हमें अपने भविष्य पर इनवेस्ट करना पड़ेगा। प्रधानमंत्री जी भी मेक इन इंडिया, स्किल इंडिया और अलग-अलग योजनाओं की बात करते है। आज लगभग दो साल से ऊपर का समय इस सरकार को सत्ता में आए हुए हो गया है, लेकिन हम देख रहे हैं कि इन इंस्टीटय़ुट्स से जो बच्चे निकल कर आ रहे हैं, पिछले दिनों हमें एनआईटी की प्रज़न्टेशन देखने का मौका मिला और यह पता चला कि एनआईटी इंस्टीटय़ूट के अंदर से भी 62-63 परसेंट बच्चे ही जॉब्स में प्लेस हो पा रहे हैं। टॉप टैन जो बच्चे हैं, वह हमारे देश में नौकरी करना पसंद नहीं करते हैं। यह बहुत ही दुखद बात है कि सिलीकॉन वैली, जहां हमारे प्रधानमंत्री जी को पिछले दिनों अमेरिका दौरे पर जाने का मौका मिला था, वहां की कोई भी कम्पनी आप उठाकर देख लीजिए, उस कम्पनी को बनाने और चलाने में किसी का सबसे ज्यादा योगदान है तो वह हमारे देश के प्रोफेसर्स और इंफ्रास्ट्रक्चर का है। आज एनआईटी और आईआईटी इंस्टीटय़ुट्स से बच्चे पढ़कर ब्रेन ड्रेन के माध्यम से विदेश जा रहे हैं। मैं सरकार से आग्रह करूंगा कि वह स्किल इंडिया और मुद्रा योजना को एक साथ करके एक योजना बनाए, ताकि आईआईटी और एनआईटी जैसे इंस्टीटय़ुट्स से पढ़े हुए बच्चों को कम इंटरेस्ट पर लोन मिल सके।उन्हें मोटिवेट कर पायें कि हमारे देश के अंदर वे अपने रोजगार के साधन बनाने का काम करें। अगर वे विदेशों में जाते रहेंगे, अमरीका, कनाडा, आस्ट्रेलिया और अन्य देशों की सिटीजनशिप की तरफ अपना ध्यान लगाकर वहां बसने का काम करेंगे तो हमने इस देश से डाक्टर्स को भागते देखा है, साइंटिस्ट्स को भागते हुए देखा है, आने वाले समय में अगर इंजीनियर्स भी इस देश को छोड़कर जाने का काम करेंगे तो आप मानकर चलिये कि हम कोई भी योजना इस देश में लागू करने का काम करें, इस देश का विकास इतनी आसानी से नहीं होगा।

          उपाध्यक्ष महोदय, मैं कहना चाहूंगा कि आज हमें इन इंस्टीटय़ूट्स के ऊपर गवर्नमैन्ट का प्राइमरी फोकस रखना पड़ेगा, तब हम इन इंस्टीटय़ूट्स में प्रोपर इंफ्रास्ट्रक्चर दे पायेंगे। माननीय मंत्री जी नये-नये एच.आर.डी. मिनिस्ट्री में आए हैं, मैं इनसे भी आग्रह करूंगा कि आप देश के सभी एन.आई.टीज. की लिस्ट निकालिये और पता करिये कि वहां सबसे बड़ी कमी जो सामने आती है, वह यह है कि हम पूरी तौर पर वहां स्टाफ उपलब्ध नहीं करा पाते। नॉन-टीचिंग और टीचिंग स्टाफ भी पूरी तौर पर एन.आई.टीज. में नहीं है। कई एन.आई.टीज. ऐसे हैं, जहां 50-60 बच्चों की बैड स्ट्रैंथ थी। हमें पहले उन एन.आई.टीज. को डैवलप करना पड़ेगा और जब हम उन्हें डैवलप कर लेंगे, तब मैं आपको विश्वास दिला सकता हूं कि हमारे ये इंस्टीट्य़ूट्स इस देश को आगे ले जाने में कामयाब रहेंगे।

          आखिर में मैं एक निवेदन और करूंगा। हमारे प्रदेश के अंदर एक ऐतिहासिक एन.आई.टी. कुरुक्षेत्र की पावन धरती पर स्थित है। मैं मंत्री जी से आग्रह करूंगा कि उसके विकास पर भी आप थोड़ा ध्यान दें और कुरुक्षेत्र की एक विजिट करने का काम करें। क्योंकि आज तक नॉर्दर्न इंडिया में सबसे अच्छी क्वालिटी के इंजीनियर्स और पढ़े-लिखे बच्चे अगर किसी ने निकालने का काम किया है तो वह कुरुक्षेत्र की धरती ने किया है।  जिस तरह आई.आई.टी. रुड़की को जाना जाता है, उसी तरह एन.आई.टी. कुरूक्षेत्र को जाना जाता है। मैं आपसे यही आग्रह करूंगा कि कुरुक्षेत्र के लिए भी एडिशनल ग्रांट, एडिशनल फंड देने का काम करें, जिससे कि एन.आई.टी. कुरुक्षेत्र का भी डैवलपमैन्ट हो पाये।

          इसके साथ ही आज जो एन.आई.टी. का बिल मंत्री जी द्वारा सदन में प्रस्तुत किया गया है, मैं इसका समर्थन करते हुए अपनी बात समाप्त करता हूं। धन्यवाद।

श्री राजेश रंजन (मधेपुरा) : माननीय उपाध्यक्ष महोदय, आपने मुझे इस महत्वपूर्ण विषय पर बोलने का समय दिया, इसके लिए मैं आपका आभारी हूं। मंत्री महोदय मैं आपका ध्यान कुछ पाइंट्स पर आकृष्ट करना चाहूंगा। आज इस देश में शिक्षा का मतलब मुनाफा हो गया है। शिक्षा का मतलब, ज्ञान, विज्ञान और अध्यात्म के मिश्रण से नहीं रहा। शिक्षा के मामले में मैं एक बात कहना चाहूंगा कि हमारे देश के पूर्व राष्ट्रपति और विश्व के जाने-माने वैज्ञानिक डा.ए.पी.जे.अब्दुल कलाम और पाकिस्तान में अब्दुल कादिर को अगर लिया जाए तो अब्दुल कलाम साहब अध्यात्म और विज्ञान के मिश्रण से मानव निर्माण की कल्पना को लेकर ज्ञान को अपनी जीवन में लाये और पूरे विश्व के मानव कल्याण की राह को प्रशस्त किया तो वह एक पोजिटिव दिशा थी। लेकिन दूसरी तरफ पाकिस्तान में अब्दुल कादिर  के विचारों में अध्यात्म और विज्ञान का मिश्रण नहीं था, वहां हाई मोरल वैल्यू नहीं थी, आदर्श की स्थापना नहीं थी तो अब्दुल कादिर दुनिया की सबसे वर्स्ट चीज बनाकर अपने ही घर में तनखैय्या घोषित हो गये।

          महोदय, हम कश्मीर के एन.आई.टी. में गये थे। जब कहीं हम एन.आई.टी. जाते हैं तो देखते हैं कि एक एन.आई.टी. में 40,60 या 70 विद्यार्थी हुआ करते हैं और उसके टीचर की जो क्वालिटी और क्वांटिटी है, मैं समझता हूं कि कमजोर तबके का जो विद्यार्थी मेहनत करता है, वह टीचर के मुकाबले ज्यादा बेहतर होता है। वह वहां टीचर को गाइड करता है। मैंने स्वयं कई बार इसे देखा और महसूस किया है। मंत्री जी आप यह बिल आंध्र प्रदेश के सवाल पर लाये हैं, इसके लिए मैं आपको बधाई देता हूं और आपको एक बड़ी जिम्मेदारी मिली है, इस जिम्मेदारी के लिए भी मैं आपको बधाई देता हूं। यह जो परिकल्पना रही है, इस पर राजनीति नहीं की जा सकती है। राजनीति होगी तो श्री राजीव गांधी जी को नहीं भुलाया जा सकता, श्री अटल बिहार वाजपेयी जी को नहीं भुलाया जा सकता तथा देश के अन्य प्रधान मंत्रियों को नहीं भुलाया जा सकता। सवाल यह है कि आप जब तक टीचर में क्वालिटी नहीं लायेंगे और एन.आई.टी. के साथ रोजगार को नहीं जोड़ेंगे तो कुछ लाभ नहीं होगा। आप सिलिकॉन वैली की बात करते हैं, हमारे देश के प्रधान मंत्री वहां जाते हैं तो दुनिया में धूम मच जाती है।

          लेकिन जब मैं अपने देश में इन बातों को देखता हूँ और खोजता हूँ तो मुझे कुछ नहीं मिलता है। अभी हमारे छोटे भाई बोल रहे थे और बाबा साहब अंबेडकर की बात उन्होंने की तो मुझे आश्चर्य हुआ। बाबा साहब अंबेडकर की बात तो आप करते हैं, लेकिन बाबा साहब अंबेडकर ने कॉमन और कम्पलसरी एजुकेशन की बात की थी। उन्होंने एजुकेशन के निजीकरण और माफियाओं के हाथ मे देने की खिलाफत की थी। बाबा साहब अंबेडकर की बात आप तब कीजिए, जब आप दलितों के बारे में, हो रहे अत्याचारों को देखें। दिल्ली विश्वविद्यालय में आप जानते हैं कि 1200, 1300 से 1400 बच्चों का एडमिशन नहीं होता है। आपको पता है कि एन.आइ.टी. में दलित, अल्पसंख्यक और कमज़ोर तबके के जो बच्चे हैं, आरक्षण के सवाल के बावजूद भी उनके 800-900 एडमिशन कर्नाटक में नहीं होते हैं। 200-300 छात्रों के एडमिशन के बाद थर्ड सेमिस्टर जाते-जाते 80 प्रतिशत दलित बच्चों को बैक कर दिया जाता है, किसी न किसी तरीके से उसको परेशान किया जाता है। मैं आपका ध्यान उन चीजों पर दिलाना चाहूंगा कि समाज में यह जो एक्सप्लॉएटेशन है, इसको आप एन.आइ.टी. से कैसे खत्म करेंगे? चूंकि आइ.आइ.टी. का बिल अभी नहीं है, उस पर मैं आपसे डिटेल में बात करूंगा। अप एन.आइ.टी. की स्थापना कीजिए और मैं चाहूंगा कि एन.आइ.टी. को एक प्रदेश में, खास तौर पर जो नॉर्थ इलाका है, जो हमारे कश्मीर का इलाका है, सबसे ज्यादा जहां पर लोग मिलिटेंसी में जा रहे हैं, जहां बेरोज़गारी अत्यधिक है, आप उस जगह को केंद्रित कीजिए। आप नागालैंड, अरुणाचल प्रदेश, कोहिमा आदि को केंद्रित कीजिए, आप केंद्रित कीजिए झारखण्ड को, आप केंद्रित कीजिए, ओडिशा को, आप केंद्रित कीजिए बिहार को। बिहार को आपने एक एन.आइ.टी. दिया है। लेकिन बिहार की आबादी दस करोड़ है। झारखण्ड से अलग होने के बाद बिहार का एजुकेशन ग्रोथ समाप्त हो चुका है। बिहार के एजुकेशन की स्थिति इतनी खराब है कि दुनिया में निम्नतम स्थिति बन गई है। मेरा आग्रह है कि आप बिहार में कम से कम  दो और एन.आइ.टी. की व्यवस्था करें। आप जहां भी दें, जिस भी कोने में दीजिए, चाहे आप मगध में एक एन.आइ.टी. दें, चाहे कोसी, मिथिला या सीमांचल में एक एन.आइ.टी. दें। सामाजिक आधार पर सबसे ज्यादा पलायन कहां से हो रहा है? कोटा में सबसे ज्यादा विद्यार्थी कहां से जाते हैं? आप कोटा की स्थिति देखिएगा तो बिहार से 70 से 80 प्रतिशत बच्चे कोटा जाते हैं। मेरा आपसे आग्रह है कि एन.आइ.टी. की क्वालिटी और क्वांटिटी पर आप ध्यान दें। इनसे रोज़गार से कैसे जोड़ा जाए, ताकि  हिंदुस्तान में उसकी गुणवत्ता हो? इस पर सबसे ज्यादा ध्यान देने की जरूरत है। इससे ज्यादा एन.आइ.टी. पर मेरी कोई राजनीति और बहस नहीं है। हम चाहेंगे कि विज्ञान और आध्यात्म के मिश्रण से आदर्श की स्थापना जब तक हमारे लोगों में नहीं होगा और हाई मोरल एजुकेशन की कल्पना आप नहीं करेंगे, तब तक विश्व गुरु या विश्व निर्माण की कल्पना या मानव निर्माण की कल्पना या सुंदर भारत की कल्पना हम नहीं कर सकते हैं। एन.आइ.टी. के माध्यम से यदि हम एक बेहतरीन वैज्ञानिक, आध्यात्मिकता के मिश्रण से व्यक्ति का निर्माण करते हैं तो हमारा देश भी मज़बूत होगा और निश्चित रूप से सामाजिक व्यवस्था भी बदलेगी। मेरा यही आग्रह है, इससे ज्यादा बोलने की आज कोई जरूरत नहीं है। मैं पुनः अगले विधेयक पर आपसे डिटेल में बत करूंगा। लेकिन मैं चाहूंगा कि आप क्वांटिटी और क्वालिटी पर ध्यान दें और रिसर्च पर ध्यान दें।

          मेरा अंतिम बिंदु है कि भारत में रिसर्च की कल्पना नहीं है। पॉवर, ग्लैमर और मनी से एजुकेशन को बचाइए। बच्चों में ग्लैमर, पॉवर और मनी की जो भूख जाग गई है, वह सही नहीं है। जीवन जीने के लिए मनी होनी चाहिए। पॉवर और ग्लैमर की जो भूख है, यह एजुकेशन को चौपट कर रही है। इसीलिए आज इंजिनियरों और टीचर्स की पूछ समाज से समाप्त हो गई है। कल तक एक इंजिनियर की रिस्पैक्ट होती थी, आज गांवों में हज़ारों इंजिनियर्स हैं, लेकिन उनको कोई पूछने को तैयार नहीं है। शिक्षक के घर में कोई शादी करने को तैयार नहीं है, कहता है कि मास्टर है, इसके घर में शादी करने के लिए कौन जाएगा। किसान की जो रिस्पैक्ट थी, वह घट गई है। किसान को भूल-चूक से भी कोई अपनी बेटी या बेटा नहीं देना चाहता है। देश की यह परिस्थिति बनी है, जिसमें आप कैसे इन चीज़ों को करेंगे, यह आवश्यक है, जिससे रिस्पैक्ट डेवल्प हो और उसकी महत्ता के साथ हिंदुस्तान की कल्पना की जा सके। यही मेरा अग्रह है।

श्री हुकुम सिंह (कैराना) : महोदय, आपने मुझे बोलने का मौका दिया, इसके लिए आपका धन्यवाद। मैं बहुत संक्षेप में अपनी बात कहना चाहूँगा। जब चर्चा शुरू हुई तो सबसे पहले वक्ता ऐसे थे जो बहुत विद्वान भी हैं, उन्हें विदेश का अनुभव भी है और उन्होंने बहुत सुझाव भी दिए। उसके बाद में मेरा सौभाग्य रहा कि ऑनरेबल सुगत बोस साहब, जिनका अपना बहुत बड़ा अनुभव है। It is always a pleasure to listen to him. उनके सुझाव भी सुनने का मुझे मौका मिला। अन्य बहुत चर्चाएं हुईं। मैं सोच रहा था कि इतने अच्छे-अच्छे सुझाव हैं और इन्हीं लोगों को दस वर्ष तक यहाँ बैठने का अवसर मिला तो उन सुझावों के अनुरूप ये कार्रवाई कर क्यों नहीं पाए? कहीं न कहीं दिक्कत क्या है, जब हम सब जानते भी हैं, नॉलेज हमें उन बातों की है, हमारे पास अवसर भी है, अवसर मिलने के बाद में फिर पालन न हो पाए और उसके बाद में जब अवसर समाप्त हो जाए तो हम कमी निकालने लगें, यह हमारी समझ से बाहर की बात है।

          मैं बहुत संक्षेप में केवल कुछ सुझाव देना चाहूँगा, क्योंकि आज मुझे विश्वास है कि जो माननीय मंत्री जी जिम्मेदारी संभाले हुए हैं, उनमें इच्छाशक्ति भी है और इच्छाशक्ति के साथ-साथ योग्यता भी है। मुझे विश्वास है कि यह अवसर जो उन्हें मिला है, हम निश्चित रूप से इस अवसर का सदुपयोग कर पाएंगे और फायदा उठा पाएंगे। हम चाहते हैं कि विश्व स्तर पर हमारी भी संस्थाएं जाएं। कारणों का पता लग गया है कि क्यों नहीं गईं, उन कारणों को दूर कैसे किया जाए? हर तरह के सुझाव आए, लेकिन मैं एक सुझाव आपको देना चाहता हूँ। क्या कभी हमने उन संस्थाओं को यह अवसर दिया कि उनके सामने क्या-क्या कठिनाई आ रही हैं? सम्भवतः वह गैप ऑफ कम्युनिकेशन हमारा हमेशा बना रहता है। हम अपने विचार रखते हैं, सोचते हैं, प्लानिंग करते रहते हैं, लेकिन कभी भी हम उन्हें यह मौका नहीं देते कि जिन संस्थाओं को हम उठाना चाहते हैं और वे उठ नहीं पा रही हैं तो उनके सामने क्या दिक्कत है। उनके पास में रिसर्च का पूरा इंफ्रास्ट्रक्चर है या नहीं है और अगर नहीं है तो कहाँ से वह पूरा होगा। क्या उनके पास पूरी मैन पावर है या नहीं है और नहीं है तो कहाँ से पूरा होगा। आप जिस संस्था के लिए आज यह विधेयक लाए हैं, उस संस्था की भी दिक्कतें सामने आईं कि वे कैम्पस में काम कर रहे हैं, कैम्प में काम कर रहे हैं, उनके पास प्रॉपर बिल्डिंग तक भी नहीं है। अगर किसी के पास प्रॉपर बिल्डिंग तक भी नहीं होगी, वहाँ की प्रयोगशाला के पास बिल्डिंग नहीं होगी तो रिसर्च कहाँ से हो जाएगी। इसलिए माननीय मंत्री जी मेरा एक सुझाव है और मैं आपसे आग्रह करता हूँ कि भले ही मेरा उतना बड़ा अनुभव न हो और भले ही मैंने विदेशों में शिक्षा न पाई हो, क्योंकि मैं तो एक बहुत साधारण गाँव के स्कूल में पढ़कर आया हूँ। मुझे यह अनुभव हुआ कि जो मेरा अपना जनपद है, उसमें न तो कोई गवर्नमेंट का इंजीनियरिंग कॉलेज है, न कोई आई.आई.टी. है, लेकिन मुझे यह कहते हुए गर्व है कि we have produced the largest number of engineers from that district और वे हमारे उत्तर प्रदेश में चीफ इंजीनियर से लेकर नीचे तक डोमिनेट कर रहे हैं। वहाँ सुविधा नहीं है, लेकिन इच्छाशक्ति थी, वे बाहर गए और वहाँ जाकर पढ़े। ऐसे हमारे जो नौजवान थे, जिनको यहाँ सुविधा मिली, वे पढ़े, बाहर गए, वह यह जाहिर करता है, यह सबूत देता है कि उनमें प्रतिभा है, आई.क्यू. है, लेकिन उस प्रतिभा का हम सही इस्तेमाल नहीं कर पा रहे हैं। इस्तेमाल इसलिए नहीं कर पा रहे हैं, वह जो मैंने कहा कि कहीं न कहीं गैप ऑफ कम्युनिकेशन हमारे यहाँ है।

          मैं आपको एक मिसाल देता हूँ। मैं बहुत कम समय लूँगा। एक इन्टर कॉलेज में मैं देखने के लिए गया, वह कमेटी का इन्टर कॉलेज था, मैंने देखा कि जो प्रिन्सिपल का ऑफिस है, वहाँ पानी टपक रहा है। मैंने उनसे पूछा कि प्रिन्सिपल साहब आपके स्कूल की हालत क्या होगी, जब आपका ऑफिस ही टपक रहा है तो उन्होंने कहा कि पिछले दो साल से यहाँ प्रशासक बैठा हुआ था और प्रशासक को केवल इतनी ही पावर है कि हमारी तनख्वाह दे दे और उसके बाद में मेन्टिनेंस का एक पैसा नहीं मिलता। अगर किसी ने जाकर के उनकी व्यथा सुनी होती, यह दिक्कत सुनी होती तो दो साल पहले ही उसका समाधान हो गया होता और वही स्थिति मैं बता रहा हूँ। हमारा इलाहाबाद विश्वविद्यालय है, उसका कितना बड़ा नाम था, आज तो वह सेन्ट्रल यूनिवर्सिटी है। क्या आपके लिए यह सम्भव है कि आप एक वर्ष का पाँच संस्थाओं का अपना टारगेट फिक्स करें, लक्ष्य फिक्स कर लें कि मैं इन पाँच संस्थाओं को एक वर्ष के अन्दर विश्व स्तर पर ले जाकर रहूँगा। उनसे बात भी करूँगा, जो सुविधा उन्हें चाहिए वह सुविधा भी उनको दूँगा और कहीं फैसेलिटी की जरूरत है तो फैसेलिटी भी क्रिएट करूँगा। आप सबको विश्व स्तर पर नहीं ले जा सकते हैं। मेरे ख्याल से कभी भी हमारे यहाँ न तो यह परम्परा बन पाई है, न प्रक्रिया बन पाई है कि हम फेस टू फेस बैठकर किसी से बात कर सकते हैं। ठीक है वाइस चांसलर का सम्मेलन होता है, लेकिन वह औपचारिक है, फार्मेलिटी है, कितना समय उनको मिलता है कहने के लिए और कितना समय आपको समझने के लिए मिलता है। फेस टू फेस बात कीजिए और पूरे देश की पाँच संस्थाओं को आप चुन लीजिए, देश के विभिन्न कोनों से चुन लीजिए और यह जानने की कोशिश करें कि वहाँ क्या कमी है। आपको पता चलेगा कि जिन संस्थाओं की मैं समीक्षा कर रहा हूँ, उन संस्थाओं में अध्यापक भी पूरे नहीं हैं। आपको यह भी पता चलेगा कि वाइस चांसलर जो बनकर के आए, उनका कोई एजुकेशनल बैकग्राउंड भी नहीं है।       कोई पुलिस के पद से रिटायर होता है और जाकर वाइस चांसलर बन जाता है। शिक्षा का उसका कोई बैकग्राउंड नहीं है, कोई पृष्ठभूमि नहीं है। आपके सामने जानकारी आएगी तो आपको भी लगेगा कि हाँ, इसमें कमी है और यह कमी दूर होनी चाहिए। आपको लगेगा कि इस संस्था में वेतन नहीं मिल पा रहा है। कितने दिन से वेतन नहीं मिल पा रहा है, बिल्डिंग की मेनटेनेंस नहीं हो पा रही है, बच्चों के लिए वहाँ पर कोई आकर्षण नहीं है। जो छात्रावास बने हुए हैं, वे भी अच्छे नहीं है। अगर आप इसकी तह तक चले जाएँगे तो देखिए कि कितने जोश के साथ वहाँ का मैनेजमैंट चलता है और कितने जोश के साथ जाकर वे लोग काम करते हैं। मुझे विश्वास है कि आपके सफल नेतृत्व में आप और आपके दोनों मंत्री मिलकर काम करेंगे। माननीय मोदी जी का आशीर्वाद आपको मिला हुआ है, और निश्चित रूप से आप इस देश के लिए बहुत कुछ कर सकते हैं और बहुत कुछ करने की आवश्यकता है। शायद अगली बार जब हम मिलेंगे तो हम आपको पुनः बधाई देंगे कि जो वायदा आपने किया था, उस वायदे को आपने पूरा करके दिखाया।

          इन्हीं शब्दों के साथ, मैं आपको बधाई देते हुए, इस विधेयक का पूर्ण समर्थन करते हुए, अपनी वाणी को विराम देता हूँ।

                                                                                               

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Now, Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

… (Interruptions)

SHRI K.C. VENUGOPAL (ALAPPUZHA): Sir, the Business Advisory Committee has already allotted two hours for this Bill.  There is another Bill also,  which is listed in Today’s List of Business.  Many hon. Members are prepared to speak on that Bill also.  So, we would like to know whether the Government is going to pass this Bill today.

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Even though we have allotted two hours, there are still some Members to speak on this Bill.  First, let the list of speakers be exhausted.

SHRI K.C. VENUGOPAL:  That is good. But we would like to know, as to what is the plan of the Government.  Are they going to pass this Bill today? At what time are they going to take up the IIT Bill? That is what we would like to know. 

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Venugopalji, let the Members speak on this Bill. There are three-four Members yet to speak on this Bill. Let them complete. Then, we would see.

SHRI K.C. VENUGOPAL: That is the request … * HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, no. That is not the thing. Do not cast aspersion… *   I am openly telling,  that is … * left to the House.  Even now, if you want to take up the next Bill,  I have no objection.  But when I have still some Members in the list who are yet to speak, how can I bypass it without giving chance to those Members to speak?

SHRI K.C. VENUGOPAL: We would like to know whether this Bill is getting passed today or not.

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: That I do not know.

SHRI K.C. VENUGOPAL:  That has to be clarified by the Government.

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI S.S. AHLUWALIA): About the IIT Bill, may be, we will take it up tomorrow.

SHRI K.C. VENUGOPAL: At what time, Sir?

SHRI S.S. AHLUWALIA: It may be after the Question Hour or Zero Hour.

SHRI K.C. VENUGOPAL : Okay.

HON. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Now, Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

   

SHRI ADHIR RANJAN CHOWDHURY (BAHARAMPUR): Hon. Deputy-Speaker, Sir, I rise to support this legislation wholeheartedly, which has been   brought forward  by the hon. Minister, Shri Javadekarji.

          In his initiation, the hon. Minister had exhorted very nicely that we should grow our children with a virtue of inquisitiveness. I strongly support the view expressed by our hon. Minister.

          Sir, here, I would like to draw the attention of the House that   the Gross Enrolment Ratio is considered as a parameter of growth in education. Mr. Minister, insofar as the GER is concerned, what is the present status of Gross Enrolment Ratio and what is your target? So far as my knowledge goes, now, it is 18 per cent; and you are trying to reach to 30 per cent.

          I have also come to learn that RUSA, namely, Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan, is aimed to increase the Enrolment Ratio in higher education.  On behalf of RUSA, Rs. 4,000 crore was sought after. But how much have you allotted to this RUSA scheme?  Also, how much fund was sought after by the UGC and how much allocation was made by you?  On each and every aspect, you have been mercilessly slashing the funds that were sought for. 

On the one hand you are loudly talking about the ambition of this Government but on the other hand to achieve this, the requisite fund is not being provided.  So, it is an eloquent testimony of the dichotomy being persuaded by your Government. 

          Sir, I had brought forward one amendment and that this why, I got this opportunity to speak for a few minutes as the Minister was condescend enough to allow me to speak.  Hon. Minister, so far as NIT is concerned, the projected demand was Rs. 3,000 crore, Rs. 2,000 crore for old institutions and Rs. 1,000 crore for new institutions.  But here also you have slashed the funds to the tune of Rs. 1,444.90 crore. So, it is further evident that you are not serious enough in spite of no dearth of rhetoric.

          So far as our problem in education is concerned, everybody here pointed out that there is a severe shortage of faculty.  The sanctioned posts in various Central universities are 16,600 – 2,376 posts of Professor, 4,708 posts of Associate Professor and 9,521 posts of Assistant Professor. Out of which, 5,928 teaching posts are vacant. Around 1,277 posts of Professor and 2,173 posts of Associate Professor and 2478 Assistant Professor are vacant. So, this is seriously affecting the quality of our education.   If the students, who are supposed to be taught, do not have the facility of faculty, then how can we imagine educating our students as we desire?  Only six per cent our population between the age of 16 to 23 used to obtain the higher education in spite of the fact that we have developed a lot.  In 1950, we did not have so many institutions.  Since 1950, we have been able to increase the number our universities by 34 per cent.  We have also increased the number of our colleges from 500 to more than 40,000.  As my esteemed colleague Shashi Tharoorji has pointed out, still we are spending only 1.12 per cent of our GDP,  on higher education however, our Parliamentary Panel on Higher Education has proposed to increase it to 1.5 per cent of the GDP. 

          We also need that our syllabus should be upgraded.  I would also suggest you to explore a symbiotic relation between the production of our engineer or our MBA and their placement in various jobs.  About 93 per cent of our Management Bachelors are jobless and 80 per cent of our engineers are jobless.  Even 16,000 engineers are jobless in the model State of Gujarat.     

Hon. Minister, I know that you are exhausting all your resources in order to develop these institutions that have been entrusted upon you.  You should remember that India still has failed to achieve the rank in the top 250 educational institutions in the world.  So, if you want to turn our country into a global educational hub, you have to infuse more fund; you have to infuse more energy and innovation in this sector.

I am hailing from a backward district from West Bengal.  That district is Murshidabad which is recognised as a district of highest concentration of Muslim population in our country.  The highest concentration of Muslim population in our country is in my district Murshidabad.  There is a technological college - Murshidabad Institute of Technology.  I would urge upon the hon. Minister that at least the Institute that is situated in Murshidabad should be upgraded as a National Institute of Technology in view of the fact that the largest concentration of Muslim population belongs to that district.  I hope that the hon. Minister certainly will look into and consider my proposal sincerely.  Tomorrow again, we will be meeting. मंत्री जी का नाम प्रकाश जावड़ेकर, सारा हाउस आपकी जय-जयकार करता है, संघ परिवार आपकी जय-जयकार करता है, लेकिन मैं आपको सलाह देता हूं - Do not saffronise the educational institutions in our country. Thank you.

   

डॉ. किरिट पी. सोलंकी (अहमदाबाद) :  उपाध्यक्ष महोदय, आपने मुझे आंध्र प्रदेश में नेशनल इंस्टीटय़ूट ऑफ टेक्नॉलाजी की स्थापना के बारे में बोलने का अवसर दिया है, मैं आपका हृदय से बहुत-बहुत धन्यवाद करता हूं। मैं हमारी सरकार और हमारे यशस्वी प्रधानमंत्री श्री नरेन्द्र भाई मोदी जी का बहुत आभार व्यक्त करता हूं कि उन्होंने कैबिनेट की बैठक में इस इंस्टीटय़ूट की स्थापना के लिए निर्णय किया और इसकी वजह से आज यह बिल सदन में प्रस्तुत हुआ। मैं सदन में इस बिल के समर्थन में बोलने के लिए खड़ा हूं। मुझे इस बात की खुशी है कि सदन में सभी दल के सदस्यों ने इसका समर्थन किया है। हमारे मानव संसाधन मंत्री श्री प्रकाश जावड़ेकर जी का भी मैं बहुत-बहुत अभिनन्दन करता हूं कि वे इस सदन में इस बिल को लेकर आए हैं।

          अभी-अभी गुरु पूर्णिमा का अवसर गया है। मैं इस सदन को आपके माध्यम से अवगत कराना चाहता हूं कि परसों गुरु पूर्णिमा हुई और हमारे मंत्री जी ने दोनों सदनों के शिक्षा के क्षेत्र से जुड़े हुए जो लोग थे, प्रोफेसर्स थे, आचार्य थे, उन सबको बुलाकर गुरु पूर्णिमा का पर्व मनाया। इसमें भेंट स्वरूप तुलसी का पौधा देकर सबको सम्मानित किया गया। मैं समझता हूं कि यह बहुत बड़ी बात है। शिक्षकों को, प्रोफेसर्स को जो वंदन करने की बात है, उनको जो एक सम्मान देने की बात है, वह इस सरकार के नजरिए में दिखती है। मैं भी इसमें सम्मिलित था, तो मैं इसके लिए जावड़ेकर जी का बहुत आभार व्यक्त करता हूं।

          भारत देश की अगर परम्परा देखें, तो एक जमाना था जब शिक्षा के क्षेत्र में अलग-अलग देशों से लोग भारत में पढ़ने को आते थे, नालन्दा में आते थे, तक्षशिला विद्यालय में आते थे। ये विद्यालय इतने गरिमापूर्ण थे कि पूरे विश्व के अलग-अलग देशों से लोग भारत में पढ़ने के लिए आते थे। मैं इस सदन को बताना चाहता हूं कि इस देश में विश्व गुरु की क्षमता थी और समग्र विश्व को इस देश के माध्यम से शिक्षा दी जाती थी और शिक्षा किसी एक क्षेत्र में नहीं दी जाती थी, शिक्षा अलग-अलग क्षेत्रों में दी जाती थी और पूरे विश्व में भारत की बात बहुत ही आगे होती थी।    मुझे इसका गर्व है। आज कम्पीटिशन के जमाने में विश्व के फलक पर भारत कम्पीट कर रहा है। हमारे यहां कई बड़े-बड़े इंस्टीटय़ूट्स बने हैं। मैं अहमदाबाद से आता हूं। इंडियन इंस्टीटय़ूट ऑफ अहमदाबाद का पूरे विश्व में एक रिकगनिशन है। यहां ऐसी संस्थाएं हैं। लेकिन दुर्भाग्य से मुझे यह भी बोलना पड़ता है कि भारत के आजाद होने के बाद हमारे पास बहुत अवसर थे, लेकिन हमें शिक्षा में जिस तेजी से आगे जाना चाहिए, हम उस तेजी और रफ्तार से आगे नहीं गए। नरेन्द्र भाई मोदी जी की सरकार आने के बाद जिस तरह यह निर्णय लिया गया है, मैं समझता हूं कि आने वाले समय में यह सरकार शिक्षा को बहुत प्रधानता देगी।

          जहां तक हमारे छात्रों का सवाल है, भारत के छात्र हर क्षेत्र में निपुण होते हैं। मैं आपको अपने मेडिकल का उदाहरण देना चाहूंगा। यहां डाक्टर की पढ़ाई करके छात्र विदेश जाते हैं। वहां भारतीय डाक्टरों को बहुत ऊंचे नजरिए से देखा जाता है। जहां तक क्लिनिकल इक्विपमैंट्स का सवाल है, इसका मतलब हिस्ट्री, डॉयगनोसिस और फिज़िकल ऐग्ज़ाम के जरिए, यानी भारतीय डाक्टर इसमें पूरे विश्व में अव्वल होते हैं। यही भारतीय छात्रों की पहचान है। अगर इंजीनियरिंग छात्रों को देखें, यहां उन्हें कोई अवसर नहीं मिलता था। जब उन्हें विदेश में जाकर अवसर मिला तो उन्होंने नोबल प्राइज़ भी हासिल किया है। मेरा कहने का मतलब है कि भारतीय छात्र और छात्राओं में भरपूर पोटैंशिएलिटी होती है। इसीलिए भारत के छात्र बहुत तेजस्वी भी हैं। अगर उन्हें ऐसे अवसर अपने देश में मिलें तो वे यहां भी नाम कमा सकते हैं।

          आज इसरो का उदाहरण देखिए। जिस तरह इसरो संस्था कार्य कर रही है, भारतीय वैज्ञानिक जिस तरह इसरो का नाम रोशन कर रहे हैं, मैं समझता हूं कि अगर उन्हें और हौसला मिले, अगर सरकार की तरफ से बैकिंग मिले तो वे पूरे विश्व में भारत का नाम रोशन कर सकते हैं, खुद की अलग पहचान बना सकते हैं। इसलिए मैं मंत्री जी से विनती करता हूं कि हमें यहां ऐसी सुविधाएं उपलब्ध करानी चाहिए। हमारे छात्र विद्या का धन हैं जो विदेश में चला जाता है। वह अपने देश में रहे। अगर उन्हें अवसर प्राप्त होता है तो निश्चित रूप से वे अपने-अपने क्षेत्रों में नाम कमा सकते हैं।

          जहां तक क्वालिटी एजुकेशन का सवाल है, आप एनआईटी की स्थापना करने जा रहे हैं, आने वाले दिनों में अलग-अलग इंस्टीटय़ूट्स की स्थापना करने जा रहे हैं। मेरा आपसे निवेदन है कि हमारा सलेबस, कोर्स, पढ़ाने का पैटर्न should be of an international standard. मैं यह नहीं कहता कि हमें पश्चिमी जगत से सिर्फ लेना है। आप हमारा अलग-अलग आर्कियोलॉजिकल स्ट्रक्चर देखेंगे, तो भारत के लोगों के पास काफी भंडार था। मैं विनती करता हूं कि हमारे सलेबस में भारतीयकरण को भी जोड़ा जाए। इस मिट्टी से जुड़े हुए लोगों की बात को भी जोड़ा जाए, तो वह सही मायने में एक अच्छा इंजीनियर, अच्छा टैक्नीकल व्यक्ति, अच्छा साइंटिस्ट बनेगा। उसमें भारत माता की सुगन्ध आएगी। इस तरह हमारे कोर्स का आयोजन करना चाहिए।

          किसी भी इंस्टीटय़ूट की आत्मा रिसर्च होती है, संशोधन होती है, शोध होती है। इसलिए मैं मंत्री जी से विनती करता हूं कि हमारे जो फैकल्टीज़ आते हैं, प्रोफैसर्स आते हैं, उनके लिए रिसर्च, शोध और संशोधन करना कम्पलसरी होना चाहिए। मैं निश्चित रूप से आपको कहना चाहता हूं कि आने वाले समय में हर इंस्टीटय़ूट अपनी एक अलग पहचान बनाएगी। आप इंस्टीटय़ूट की स्थापना करने जा रहे हैं, मैं उपाध्यक्ष जी के माध्यम से मंत्री जी से विनती करना चाहता हूं कि गरीब तबका खासकर अनुसूचित जाति और अनुसूचित जनजाति के लोगों को शिक्षा में जोड़ा जाए, महंगी फीस की वजह से वे लोग तकनीकी एजुकेशन आर्ट ऑफ इंस्टीटय़ूट में दाखिला नही ले पाते।

          हमें ऐसा मैक्निज्म डेवलप करना चाहिए जिससे सरकार उनको फीस स्ट्रक्चर के बारे में उनको कोई मदद कर सकती है तो उसे करे। बैंको से नःशुल्क यानि बिना इंट्रेस्ट के लोन की व्यवस्था करें तो वे लोग अपने आप को क्वालिफाई कर सकेंगे। उन लोगों में भरपूर क्षमता होती है लेकिन उनको अवसर प्रदान नहीं होता है, उनको अवसर प्रदान न होने की वजह से वे लोग आगे नहीं जा पाते हैं।

          आजकल शिक्षा में रैगिंग जैसी स्थिति हम देखते हैं। समय-समय में वर्तमान समाचार पत्रों में इसकी चर्चा होती है तो बहुत पीड़ा होती है। हमारे युवा छात्र इसकी वजह से बहुत मेंटल टेंशन बढ़ता है जिससे वे कभी-कभी सुसाइड तक भी करते हैं। मैं आपसे प्रार्थना करता हूं हम शिक्षा के इंस्टीटय़ूट स्थापित करने जा रहे हैं, हमें इस बात पर भी गौर करना चाहिए ताकि विद्यार्थियों के ऊपर मेंटल टेंशन का एटमोस्फेयर पैदा न हो। आपने मुझे इस महत्वपूर्ण बिन पर अपने विचार रखने का अवसर इसलिए आपका हृदय से धन्यवाद।

SHRI N.K. PREMACHANDRAN (KOLLAM): Thank you Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to express my views on the Bill, that is, The National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

          Sir, at the beginning of the debate itself I have made a suggestion that another Bill which is pending before this House is very similar and identical. It is regarding institution or commencement of six IITs plus one IIT, total, seven IITs to be declared as institutions of national importance. That is another Bill. This is also more or less same because this is a National Institute of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, and the other one is Indian Institutes of Technology Bill. So, these two Bills could be discussed together so as to save the time of this august House.

          I would urge upon the Parliamentary Affairs Minister to please see the time of the House because yesterday also for the Indian Trusts (Amendment) Bill, you had allotted two hours for that Bill and we could pass that Bill very well, within 2-3 minutes, because it was passed by the Rajya Sabha. So many other vitals issues are pending. Even we are not getting sufficient time to present Matters under Rule 377 before the House because there is no time. But unfortunately, a lot of time—I am not saying it is being wasted—can be very well utilized for other subjects also. No Calling Attention is being allowed. No other Discussion under Rule 193 is being allowed. So, let the Parliamentary Affairs Minister be very serious about the allocation of time for the discussion on the Bills so that we will get an opportunity to submit more issues which are vital for the House.

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr. Premachandran, this was discussed in the Business Advisory Committee. In that Committee, we decided to allocate two hours for this Bill and another two hours for that Bill. It was decided there. That is the decision of the Business Advisory Committee and that was also adopted by the House. Therefore, it is not necessary to go into that.

THE MINISTER OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS  AND MINISTER OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI ANANTHKUMAR): My dear friend, Mr. Premachandran is a very senior Member of the House. I think he knows and appreciates, as you rightly said, Sir, that the business is not allocated by the Parliamentary Affairs Minister. The Business is allocated by the BAC. Whatever other Businesses like Matters under Rule 377 or Calling Attention matter or Discussion under Rule 193—all these things are given and approved by the hon. Chairperson of BAC, who is the Speaker of the House.

          There was also a demand from all the leaders in the all-parties meeting that there should be a balance between the Government Business and the Business of the House. Therefore, we will facilitate that. But the onus is directly on BAC. BAC has allocated the time and we are proceeding accordingly.… (Interruptions)

SHRI K.C. VENUGOPAL : BAC has allocated two hours’ time for discussion on this Bill.  … (Interruptions)

SHRI MALLIKARJUN KHARGE (GULBARGA): Sir, the only thing is that they do not have Business. … (Interruptions) Sir, you tell us heartily, I will accept it.  … (Interruptions)

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, it is not so.

… (Interruptions)

SHRI MALLIKARJUN KHARGE: When everybody wanted to discuss the MCI Bill, they said that it should be passed today only. There is no time. But what has happened today? Today, you have got two Bills.… (Interruptions)

SHRI ANANTHKUMAR: We are ready for it. We have listed both the Bills. There are enough Bills that are pending.… (Interruptions)

SHRI MALLIKARJUN KHARGE: They do not have any Business. That is why, they want to give it more time. Shri Premachandran can also speak as much as he wants. They will allow him. They are very liberal.… (Interruptions)

श्री अनुराग सिंह ठाकुर (हमीरपुर):उपाध्यक्ष महोदय, मैं माननीय श्री मल्लिकार्जुन खड़गे साहब से कहना चाहता हूं कि उनकी पार्टी के सदस्य भी बीएसी में थे और उन्होंने ही इस बिल के लिए जितना समय दिया गया है, उस पर सहमति व्यक्त की थी। आप अपने रिप्रजेंटेटिव से पूछिए। ...(व्यवधान)

श्री मल्लिकार्जुन खड़गे :  पहले आप अपनी जगह पर जाइए और वहां से बोलिए।

श्री अनुराग सिंह ठाकुर: जब मुझे उपाध्यक्ष बोलेंगे, तब मैं जाऊंगा। आप मुझे डायरेक्ट नहीं कर सकते कि मैं अपनी जगह पर जाऊं।...(व्यवधान)

SHRI MALLIKARJUN KHARGE : Yes, I can point it out. When the Rule is there, I can point it out. If the Rule is not there, I cannot point out. … (Interruptions)

श्री अनुराग सिंह ठाकुर: अभी इस सैशन का पहला सप्ताह ही तो चल रहा है। ...(व्यवधान)

SHRI MALLIKARJUN KHARGE : Sir, you know what happens in BAC. Whatever we say in BAC, they take it as a suggestion. They alter it as they want. They alter even subjects, Calling Attention, Adjournment Motions under Rule 56 and other things.

          Hon. Deputy-Speaker, Sir, have you heard any Short Notice Question coming for discussion? Not a single one has come up. You yourself are an expert in that. Many a time you have put questions through that. It has not come only in this Session but in earlier sessions also it has not come. … (Interruptions) Anyway, we will cooperate with them. We are ready to do it. That is a different thing. But you should agree that you have ample time but no business.… (Interruptions)

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: The hon. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs has already assured that he is ready to take up any other Business also like Discussion Under Rule 193, Calling Attention or whatever. Whatever your request is, it will be considered and discussed once again in BAC and it can be taken up.

          Shri Premachandran, please continue.

SHRI N.K. PREMACHANDRAN :Thank you, Deputy-Speaker, Sir. I am also thankful to the hon. Minister for giving me an opportunity to speak on the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

          Sir, we are all bound by BAC but I would like to say only one point. … (Interruptions) I am not a Member of BAC. The House is bound by the BAC decision. I fully agree with it. … (Interruptions)

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Please speak only about the Bill.

SHRI N.K. PREMACHANDRAN : I am coming to the Bill.

          The amendment to the present Bill is with the purpose to amend the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research Act, 2007 so as to commence a National Institute of Technology in Andhra Pradesh due to the bifurcation of the State of Andhra Pradesh into Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

          Sir, the first point which I would like to make is that the National Institute of Technology was established by virtue of an enactment of Parliament and it started in the year 2007. The Institute of Technology Act was enacted by Parliament in the year 1961. So, what is the difference between the National Institute of Technology, Science Education and Research and the Institute of Technology and the Indian Institute of Technology? We are having multiplicity of organisations and academic councils and we are passing so many legislations.

          According to my information and belief, syllabus and curriculum as well as level of standard is more or less same in respect of the National Institute of Technology and the Indian Institute of Technology. These centres have to be made as centres of excellence in professional education especially the technical education. These should be declared as centres of excellence.

          Coming to the point of National Institute of Technology, I do agree with the Government that this new institute is being given to the State of Andhra Pradesh. Their emotions and genuine demand have been accepted by the Government. I fully agree with the Bill and there is nothing controversial in respect of this Bill.

   

18.00 hours           Coming to the issue of IIT, Sir, I am thankful to the Government for commencing an IIT in the Palakkad District of Kerala.

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Please stop for a minute.

          Now, it is 6 o’clock. If the House decides, we can extend the time of the House by one hour. If the House agrees, the discussion may continue and the Bill may be passed.

          If the hon. Members want, after the discussion, the Minister may reply and we may pass the Bill. Therefore, we can extend. Otherwise, we will take it up tomorrow.

SHRI S.S. AHLUWALIA: Sir, let us pass the Bill today. Hon. Minister will give reply and the Bill may be passed.

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Members may say what they want. If you want one hour extension, we may do it.

SEVERAL HON. MEMBERS: Yes.

PROF. SUGATA BOSE (JADAVPUR): Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have had adequate discussion. I do not know how many speakers are left on your list, but if we can do this efficiently, it would be best to get this Bill passed today so that we can take up the IIT Bill tomorrow.

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Okay. We extend the time of the House by one hour or till the Bill is passed.

          Shri Premachandran, you continue now.

SHRI N.K. PREMACHANDRAN: Sir, we are thankful to the Government for having commenced an IIT in the State of Kerala. It was a long-pending dream of the people of Kerala to have an IIT in the State. We are thankful not only to this Government but also to the then Government which had tried its level best to commence an IIT in the State of Kerala. There was a big contradiction that a State, which is having 100 per cent literacy and is highly educated, did not have an IIT. Now, that contradiction has been resolved for which also I am thankful to the Government. 

Sir, now I come to the objectives of the IITs and NITs. What are the main objectives of these enactments? According to me, our forefathers, even the Nehruvians, thought of starting in the sixties the IITs with an object. The IITs were created by way of a statute passed by Parliament. The establishment of IITs is given a statutory backing by means of a legislation. This means that it is a very important institution of national importance. The significance of an IIT or an NIT is that these are centres of excellence.

I think, there are three aims with which these highly esteemed institutions were established. The first aim was to bring out brilliant professionals in our country. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru at that time had stated that ‘they will be the architects of our modern India’ so that we produce brilliant professionals in the professional education who would be brought out through these centres of excellence. The second aim was to improve the quality of higher education in the country so that it would act as an encouragement to other engineering colleges and technology institutes as a result of which the academic standard and standard of education in other institutions will also rise.

Sir, the third aim is very important, but unfortunately, it is being ignored now-a-days. It was to ensure that poor and common people get an opportunity to have quality education in these centres of excellence. The third very important aim of commencing these high level institutions is that the poor and common people of the country should have access to quality education either in IITs or in NITs. These institutions were started with a long-term perspective thinking that professional education imparted in these IITs will be the better way to improve quality of our education.

Sir, even after 55 years of establishment of IITs and ten years of establishment of NITs, have we been able to achieve the goals enunciated in the Act of 1961 or in the Act of 2007?  Some time back, Dr. Shashi Tharoor had pointed out about the global standards and the statistics of higher education. We are not even able to become one among the first 200 colleges of international standard in the world. That is the situation even after 55 years of IITs and ten years of NITs. We are not able to have a single college which will cope up with and have the global or international standards in education.  So, we have to review the position of our higher education.

The biggest challenge of Indian education is quality education, particularly, in the field of higher education. Former speakers, Dr. Shashi Tharoor and Prof. Sugata Bose, eminent personalities having international exposure have also expressed their concern in respect of the quality of education prevailing in our country. On this issue, we should rise above politics and join together to have a concerted effort to improve the quality of higher education in our country. But unfortunately, narrow partisan party politics is a hurdle to achieve this objective.

Sir, I will cite recent examples or recent experiences. Firstly, I would like to mention regarding the National Eligibility Test (NET). The University Grants Commission (UGC) has stipulated a mandatory condition that in order to get the appointment of Assistant Professors in universities and colleges the essential required qualification was stipulated as NET and that is a standard test that is prevalent in our country during the last decade. It is a good test, which is well-accepted throughout the country. It is a standard certification, and it was considered as a major step towards bringing quality in the field of teaching and research. But it is now learnt that UGC is going to dilute this standard certification with a new change where a candidate is qualified if he has a Ph.D qualification and two articles or two papers published in papers. According to me, this is dilution of higher education as quality of education is being compromised, which should never be allowed. This is being done on the ground that they are not getting sufficient qualified teachers of NET for thousands and thousands of vacancies of Assistant Professors and Lecturers that are there in the universities and colleges, so they are diluting it. This is not a genuine ground for diluting the NET qualification or the Assistant Professor qualification. So, kindly review this decision.

          As regards faculty, the quality of education is directly related to the faculty. If the faculty is not well-qualified and if there is no sufficient faculty to discharge higher education, then there is no meaning in starting higher educational institutions like NIT and IIT. So, the faculty qualification should be strict; NET qualification should be followed; and it should never be diluted. This is the first point that I would like to make before the hon. Minister.

          The second point is regarding the T. S. R. Subramanian Committee Report on Education Policy. We have heard about the T. S. R. Subramanian Committee Report on Education Policy that a Committee was appointed to make a draft document on education policy. I would like to know this from the hon. Minister. What is the fate of this Report? It is being learnt from media / press reports that on 27 May 2016 Shri T. S. R. Subramanian has submitted the 250-page Report to the Government. So far, the Government has not brought the document into the public domain whereas unverified versions of this T. S. R. Subramanian Committee recommendations have already come out in the Press. The then Minister, Shrimati Smriti Irani, has said that these are only recommendations and no policy document has been submitted by Shri T. S. R. Subramanian. So, it was said that they will entrust some other agency so as to make a draft document and that draft document will be brought in the public domain for a discussion to have an education policy.

I would like to know the factual position of the T. S. R. Subramanian Committee Report. Is the Government pursuing that Report? What is the opinion of the Government regarding the T. S. R. Subramanian Committee Report? I am asking this because quality of education is the biggest challenge that the country is facing in this era.

          I am now coming to the third point regarding higher education. It is a big danger, which is going to happen, that is, the marginalised section of society is being denied best quality education because the corporate and private agencies are now concentrating on higher education, especially, medical education, engineering education, technical education, business management, etc. Actually, the corporate entities are concentrating on higher education in almost all the sectors. As I have cited the day before yesterday, it is a lucrative business. Higher education is a very lucrative business. It is the best business which is available in our country. What happens to the school education in our country? The public education system has lost its significance because there is mushroom growth of unaided private institutions throughout the villages and towns, and the resulting effect is that poor students, common people, downtrodden people and marginalised sections of society are not getting good education, and the public education system itself is in a peril. The significance is lost. These private unaided educational institutions are growing like anything. That will be resulting in denial of education to the poor people of our country.

HON. DEPUTY  SPEAKER: They have already made 25 per cent reservation to take care of that aspect. For the self-financing or private institutions, it is mandatory for them. They have to give 25 per cent of seats free to meritorious students. There is a provision. What you are pointing out is also correct, but there is also a provision.

SHRI P.K. BIJU (ALATHUR): They are charging lakhs of rupees. If you want to get reservation in private educational institutions, you have to pay that much fee. They have fixed that amount.

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: That is free and they cannot charge anything.

SHRI N.K. PREMACHANDRAN: That also depends on the State legislation.

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What you said is correct that because of privatization, charges or fees is very high, and only highly influential people or well-to-do people are going to those institutions. That is a fact and it is correct. But at the same time, there is a provision that these schools have to provide for 25 per cent reservation. That mandate is there. However, I do not know how they are implementing it.

SHRI N.K. PREMACHANDRAN : Sir, comparing it with the fee structure which is prevailing, even after this 25 per cent reservation, poor people are not able to go there because the system is entirely different. The private unaided educational system is different. My point is that the same is going to happen in higher educational system also. So, please be very careful. My point is the State shall never withdraw from the higher education. In these IITs and NITs, common people and poor people should also get an opportunity to have the best system of education, which is prevailing in our country.

          Sir, considering the recent fee hike in IITs, it is also adversely affecting the common man. The recent fee hike in IITs is an abnormal fee hike. The last fee hike was from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 90,000. Now, it is enhanced to Rs. 2 lakh per annum per student, that is, 120 per cent of increase in the fees. This can never be justified. This is against the concept of the IITs and the National Institutes of Technology. What will be the resulting effect? The resulting effect will be that the National Institute of Technology and the Indian Institute of Technology, the premier educational institutions in the country will also be reserved or will also be available only for the rich class of society. That will be the resulting effect of hike in the fees. I do agree that those who are having the income below one lakh of rupees, there is some concession. For SC/ST students, there is a concession. However, even the common, middle-class people will be suffering. Suppose a Non-Gazetted Officer, who is serving either in the State service or in the Central service, he will be earning above Rs. 1 lakh. Almost all the middle-class people will be earning above Rs. 1 lakh. So, a student from the middle-class has to pay Rs. 2 lakh per annum means it is unaffordable, and it is unjustifiable. I would urge upon the Government to review the unreasonable and unjust fee hike, which was enhanced recently.

          The other point, which I have already cited, is the statutory recognition to all these institutions. I am concluding. The statutory recognition given to these institutes… SHRI ANANTHKUMAR: Sir, my dear friend, Shri Premachandran, said that two hours was sufficient for this NIT Bill and we have taken four hours. We should have passed the Bill by now. Therefore, I was just calculating the time taken. If we had taken only two hours or 120 minutes, my dear friend, Shri Premachandran’s Party or he himself would have got three minutes. If we had debated the whole thing for four hours, he should have taken six minutes. I am just putting the timer that he has taken 31 minutes. Therefore, when one party member takes 31 minutes and asks the ruling party and the Treasury Benches to conclude within two hours or four hours… (Interruptions)

SHRI K.C. VENUGOPAL: That is because of you only. … (Interruptions)

SHRI ANANTHKUMAR: Shri Venugopalji, let us not go into this. He can conclude. He is a dear friend. He has made his point. He has spoken for 30 minutes and enlightened us.

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: That is left to him.

… (Interruptions)

SHRI N.K. PREMACHANDRAN: That is totally misleading. The observation that I have made is that I am actually supporting to save the time. The day before yesterday also, two Statutory Resolutions were in my name. I had suggested to the Chair to have joint discussion so that we could save the time. Today also, I have made an observation and a suggestion to discuss both the Bills together so that we can save the time. I have made a positive suggestion. The hon. Minister has totally misled about the observation which I have made. Since the Minister has said that I have to conclude, I am concluding.

          Thank you very much.

                                                                                               

मानव संसाधन विकास मंत्री (श्री प्रकाश जावड़ेकर):   माननीय उपाध्यक्ष जी, सर्वप्रथम मैं सभी माननीय सदस्यों का, जिन्होंने इस चर्चा में भाग लिया और जिन्होंने यह चर्चा अच्छी तरह से सुनी है, उन सबको बहुत बधाई देना चाहता हूं:-श्री शशि थरूर जी, डॉ. कंभमपति हरिबाबू,  श्री एस.सेल्वाकुमार, श्री सुगाता बोस, श्री बैजयंत जे. पांडा, श्री मुथमसेटी श्रीनिवास राव, श्री चंद्रकांत खैरे, श्री कुण्डा विश्वेश्वर रेड्डी, श्री पी.के. बीजू, श्रीमती बुत्ता रेणुका, श्री जय प्रकाश नारायण, श्री निनोंग इरिंग, डॉ. उदित राज, श्री पी.डी. राय, डॉ. अरुण कुमार, श्री बदरुद्दीन अजमल, श्री रत्न लाल कटारिया, श्री संतोष कुमार, श्री दुष्यंत चौटाला, श्री राजेश रंजन, श्री हुकुम सिंह, श्री अधीर रंजन चौधरी, डॉ. किरिट पी. सोलंकी और श्री एन.के. प्रेमचन्द्रन जी।

My friends, I am very happy about it because one demand that has come out of it is that we must give now quality education. We have achieved expansion in the last seventy years. The credit for that goes to all the Governments who have ruled this country. The Britishers created postal network; they created rail network and they created some other system. But education was not their priority; and taking the education to the last man was not their priority. This is the priority of the independent India. That is what we have achieved in numbers. Now it is the issue of quality. Therefore, our policy is “सबको शिक्षा, अच्छी शिक्षा”  education to everyone. Therefore, after assuming charge, I went first to night schools because they are the deprived class. They need education. What are the aspirations of the poor people? यानी मुझे दुख के साथ कहना पड़ रहा है कि गवर्नमेंट स्कूल से गरीब आदमी भी वहां की स्थानीय स्थिति देखकर, अपना पेट काटकर बच्चे को अच्छी शिक्षा मिले, इसलिए दूसरे इंस्टीटय़ूट की भी च्वाइस करता है, जहां मिड-डे-मील स्कीम नहीं है, जहां यूनिफॉर्म नहीं है, जहां फ्री में बुक्स नहीं हैं, जहां 300 रुपये फीस देनी पड़ती है, But even the poorest of the poor wants hs kids to be educated well. That is the aspiration of the poor. Education is a national subject. Education is beyond politics. It is the concern of all of us; it is the duty of all of us. Therefore, we must resolve that we will work unitedly to improve the quality of education. I think, that has emerged as a main point of this discussion.

          आपने ड्राफ्ट एजुकेशन के बारे में पूछा-Shri Premachandran has raised this point. There were three questions in Rajya Sabha today and I have answered them. Let me tell you this thing. By Monday, you will receive some salient points and draft points on education policy, which are there in a policy format. They are available on the website. But for the convenience, we will deliver you all the 43 pages for your consideration. Earlier, the time limit was 31st July. As we are now giving you the hard copy, we will give you more time. By 15th of August, I want all Members to study that and come out with suggestions. That is how, we can improve it.

I have found the same passion and the same urge in all the 25 speeches. So, the nation’s will is on display today in the debate and I welcome that.

          Let me now tell you what we are doing to improve quality. We must do much more, but we are doing some things. There is an initiative called the Technical Education Quality Improvement for Rs.2600 crore which will now be implemented in 190 institutes over the next four years.

          Many hon. Members said that there needs to be immediate upgradation of infrastructure, particularly research infrastructure. That is really the need of the hour. Therefore, we are thinking of a Higher Education Funding Initiative which will go to the Cabinet. The central idea of the initiative is, as the Government has already indicated in the Budget, that we will invest Rs.1,000 crore, and there will be a bank or some other body which will monitor it. That will leverage the funds through market and can provide up to Rs.20,000 crore for upgradation of all kinds of infrastructure. I have already mandated that 40 per cent of that money should be invested in improving the research infrastructure. It is not about roads, buildings and staff quarters; it is basically about improving the research infrastructure. That is what we are taking up.

          There is the new IMPRINT India Initiative of the Government of India under the Prime Ministership of Narendra Modi-ji under which we are investing Rs.1,000 crore on Research Assistance. In another project on IIT campuses and NIT campuses. Under this initiative, industry can ask for customised research solutions, there will be students-industry interaction, and that will promote research. There will be incubation centres also for young minds. Even after graduation they can come to the incubation centres and do more research because that is what is needed.

          There is a big issue raised by many hon. Members as regards the private engineering colleges and institutes. Some said that some institutes are getting closed and that is correct. What has changed in the last five years is this. Earlier, there used to be admissions in every engineering college all over the country. But now students are empowered with technology. They see the placement record of the institutes. If the placement record of the institute is good, they take admission. If the placement record is not good, they do not take admission. Therefore, there are closures of certain institutes. That is how market operates. If you are not qualitatively good, you will have to face the music; and if you are qualitatively good, people will appreciate you more. That is how things happen. We want qualitative improvement in all respects. To improve quality, first we must fill all the faculty posts. That gives rise to the question whether people are ready to become the faculty.

          Last week I was in IIT Delhi interacting with about 200 Ph.D. students for about an hour on many issues. The first question I asked them was who wants to be a teacher, so that I could start a dialogue with them. To my surprise, more than 120 students raised their hands to say that they want to be faculty members. That is the change in atmosphere that is happening and I am very happy with it.

          I organised a programme called Gun Gaurav at my residence last Sunday. Many people talked about Guru Purnima. I felicitated all the teaching community in Parliament on that day. That was not a party programme but a national programme. What was this Gun Gaurav? It was for those students of Delhi who secured more than 90 per cent marks in their Plus-2 examination and secured admission in Delhi University in the first cut-off list in spite of adverse conditions like living in one-room accommodation in slum areas, being children of daily wage workers, being a part of big families, etc. I felicitated those students at my house. Many TV channels have also showed it.  I interviewed every student. Many of them have said that they want to become teachers. That gives us great hope that the future generation is also motivated. We should not think that everything has gone. No. They are motivated and they want to become teachers.  We have to give three things- dignity, compensation, freedom and we also have to introduce accountability.  Then only we can have good teachers and good teachers should be appreciated.  I tell you one example.  The village which I adopted in Bundelkhand near Chitrakoot is located on the border of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.  गांव का नाम पालदेव है। We went there and I first inspected the school. I talked to the students, I talked to the parents.  Then I called teachers together.  I asked them, “What is the result in 10th standard?” They said that it was 11 percent.  I asked, “What is the result of 12th standard?” They said that it was 28 per cent.  I asked them how many students were there.  They told there were 350.  I said this is a village of 3000 people; it means students are coming from outside the village also.  They said students come from as far as four, six or eight kilometres.  How do they come?  The students, including girls, come by cycles.  If they are coming by cycles, it means they have the urge to learn.  I said that we must now take up the challenge to improve the percentage and I gave them a target of 50 per cent up from 28 per cent. 

I sat with them and organised a 10-day special programme for all teachers through DIET and they were sent to Satna and had very good 10-day training.  Then we started remediation classes, we motivated students, teachers and the community.  Everybody became involved in school education and in seven months, the result of 28 per cent became 82 per cent.  That is how things can happen if teachers decide.

          अगर प्राध्यापक, अध्यापक मोटिवेट होकर काम करते हैं तो इससे क्या चमत्कार हो सकते हैं, इसका प्रत्यक्ष उदाहरण मैंने वहां देखा। इस साल भी वहां ऐसा ही हुआ है, यह केवल उसी समय का रिवोलूशन नहीं था। यह केवल एक साल का ही चमत्कार नहीं था। इस साल भी उस स्कूल का 12वीं कक्षा का रिजल्ट 78 प्रतिशत आया है। Now it has stabilized to a next level. ऐसा किया जा सकता है। इस मंत्रालय का कार्यभार संभालने के बाद मैं पूना गया, तब सभी कार्यकर्ता कहने लगे कि हम आपका स्वागत करेंगे। मैंने कहा - नहीं। मेरे कालेज में जो पूना के प्राध्यापक थे, मैं दो साल वहां पढ़ा, इससे पहले मैं देहात में पढ़ा था। मैंने कहा कि मैं गुरुओं को प्रणाम करूंगा। मैंने वहां गुरु प्रणाम का कार्यक्रम किया।

I am saluting even today all the teaching community because I believe that if they take up the cause, they can change the whole scenario. The basic quality at the primary level is where the real problem lies.  The ASER report and other reports and even our own Government’s report do not augur well for the quality of education at primary level.  Students are ready and if we are not complementing, that is the real issue.  Therefore, I appeal to all teachers that they can make a difference to the India story.  We will give everything that is needed.  Vacancies will be filled.  There will be quality training.  There will be in-service training and pre-service training; all will be there. 

मैंने देखा कि आई.आई.टी. में बच्चों में शिक्षक बनने की ललक है तो मुझे अच्छा लगा। So, faculty and quality have a very important co-relation and we must understand it. किसी ने पूछा कि जी.ई.आर. क्या है? 19 परसेंट नहीं है, बल्कि 24 परसेंट है। हमारा लक्ष्य ज्यादा है। दुनिया की एडवांस क्रंटीज में 50 परसेंट है, वह लाँग टर्म गोल है। अभी हम 30 परसेंट तक तो पहुंचें। हमें हर साल इसे इप्रूव करना है। That is why we are going ahead with this programme.

          मैं एक उदाहरण देना चाहूंगा। रिसर्च एंड इनोवेशन की बात बहुत लोगों ने कही है और यह बात सही भी है। अगर क्वालिटी है तो रिसर्च है। अगर रिसर्च है तो इनोवेशन है। Kharge ji, in 2000 I was made the Chairman of Working Group on IT for Masses of the Government of India.  At that time, I was heading IT Task Force of the Government of Maharashtra.  Then we went to Massachusetts Institute of Technology and we negotiated successfully MIT Media Lab Asia project which was a good initiative.  At that time, Atal ji was Prime Minister and he committed Rs 1,000 crore for that.  After return, he asked me, “Why are we investing Rs 1,000 crore?  What is that we are importing?”         I said, “We are importing the research culture, research freedom, research value system, and the big power of ideas. That is what we are importing.” So, he said, “We also have many research institutes.” I said, “Yes, we have and we are proud of our scientists but still when it becomes bureaucratic, it creates problems. It has to be a free and real research.” That is what we now want to bring.

          Hon. Members have talked about PhDs. In our country and in the best of the best countries, you are a PhD holder only if you add something new to the existing knowledge. Compilation does not become PhD. That is how PhDs come. We have taken two important initiatives under Shri Narendra Modi. Under IMPRINT, we are contemplating Rs. 1,000 crore investments. What is that investment  for Research projects. In another scheme as I said industries will come up with customised demands for their research requirements. The IITs, NITs, IIMs and all other technical institutes will be involved in doing the research. There will be incubation centres also.

          Over the last five years IITs have produced 3000 research reports and 10,000 are in progress. We must attract foreign students. मैं छात्र आंदोलन का प्रोडक्ट हूँ। जयप्रकाश नारायण जी के आंदोलन के समय पुणे विश्वविद्यालय में बहुत-से फॉरेन स्टूडेंट्स आते थे। अभी उनकी कितनी संख्या है, यह मुझे चैक करनी है। लेकिनto be a part of the whole global culture is education by itself. मेरे बेटे ने अभी पी.एच.डी किया, वहाँ 17 लोग थे, वे सभी छः साल एक साथ रहे। वे सभी 12 देशों से आए थे। यह जो होता है, उससे व्यक्ति का एक डायवर्स कल्चर तैयार होता है, एक  बेस वाइडर होता है। इसीलिए इंडिया फॉरेन स्टूडेंट्स को भी अट्रैक्ट कर सकता है, वे पहले भी आते थे, आज भी आते हैं, लेकिन और ज्यादा आ सकते हैं। वे आने चाहिए। यह एक्सचेंज बहुत ही महत्वपूर्ण है। इनोवेशन, इंडस्ट्री इंटरैक्शन बढ़ना चाहिए, कस्टमाइज भी होगा, स्टार्ट अप भी होगा और इनोवेशन नहीं करेंगे, तो जैसा कि मैंने शुरू में कहा कि जब तक इनोवेशन नहीं है, तब तक हम वेल्थ जेनरेट नहीं करते, हम रीयल प्रौसपेरिटी के रास्ते पर नहीं जाते हैं। Quality, good faculty, research facilities and innovation are all linked in that scenario and that is the vision of the Government led by Shri Narendra Modi.

          There were some issues raised about NITs. आज एनआईटीज में 19 हजार छात्र हैं। नॉर्थ-ईस्ट के केवल दो राज्यों में नहीं हैं, आठ राज्यों में हैं, क्योंकि अभी तक जो पॉलिसी है, इसे पहले की सरकार ने भी किया था, उसे हमने कंटीन्यू किया है। अभी हर राज्य में एक एनआईटी होनी चाहिए। चूँकि आध्र प्रदेश का पुनर्गठन हुआ है, इसलिए हम आध्र प्रदेश को यह दे रहे हैं। कुछ लोगों ने कहा कि बिहार में चार एनआईटीज होनी चाहिए। चन्द्रकांत खैरे जी ने भी कहा कि महाराष्ट्र में भी होनी चाहिए। ऐसी सबकी इच्छा है। ...(व्यवधान)

श्री मल्लिकार्जुन खड़गे : वे कहते हैं कि औरंगाबाद में होना चाहिए। ...(व्यवधान)

श्री प्रकाश जावड़ेकर :  वे औरंगाबाद के लिए नहीं, शंभाजीनगर के लिए कहते हैं।...(व्यवधान) मैं बताता हूँ, सबको मिलेगा। मैं यही कहना चाहता हूँ, सबकी यही इच्छा है कि हमारे यहाँ एनआईटी होनी चाहिए, यही हमारी क्रेडिबिलिटी है। यही क्वालिटी का प्रमाण है कि एक अच्छे स्तर की संस्था आनी चाहिए और यही सबकी इच्छा है। मैं तो कहूँगा कि आपके मुँह में घी-शक्कर, जल्दी ऐसी स्थिति पैदा हो कि हर राज्य को कुछ ज्यादा देने की क्षमता बने। ऐसा होना चाहिए। लेकिन अभी हर राज्य को एक एनआईटी दिया है और आध्र में जो कमी थी, उसे पूरा किया है। इसमें हन्ड्रेड पर्सेंट फंडिंग होती है। लोगों ने कहा कि इसमें फंडिंग कम है,लेकिन इसमें हन्ड्रेड पर्सेंट फंडिंग है। रिजर्वेशन भी संबंधित राज्य के अनुसार ही होता है, जो शैडय़ूल सिक्स में दिया गया है और 50 पर्सेंट रिजर्वेशन होम स्टेट को मिलता ही है। इसमें 220 करोड़ रुपये हमने मॉडर्नाइजेशन के लिए रखे हैं। पप्पू यादव जी अभी नहीं हैं। इसके बारे में दुष्यंत जी ने भी बात कही है, वे कमेटी के तहत श्रीनगर के एनआईटी में गये थे, इसलिए श्रीनगर एनआईटी की स्थिति सुधारने के लिए तुरंत सौ करोड़ रुपये हमने दिये हैं।       यह जो 20 हजार करोड़ रुपये का हायर एजुकेशन फण्ड तैयार होगा और उस फण्ड से सभी एनआईटीज़ और आईआईटीज़ की रिसर्च एबिलीटीज़ और बाकी इंफ्रास्ट्रक्चर की कमी दूर हो जाएगी, ताकि जो इंस्टिटय़ूट्स हैं, उन्हीं में एक्सपेंशन हो सकता है। हर बार नये इंस्टीटय़ूट्स खोलने की बजाय कभी-कभी एक्सपेंशन की ऑप्टीमम पॉसीबिलिटी भी बिल्टअप करना चाहिए।

          चौधरी जी ने कहा कि बजट बहुत कम हुआ है। एनआईटी का बजट वर्ष 2013-14 की तुलना में वर्ष 2016-17 में 23 परसेंट बढ़ा है, यह मैं बताना चाहता हूं। जयप्रकाश नारायण जी का बोस जी ने उल्लेख किया ‘Engineering was not about technology.  Humanities and basic science research are very important and I appreciate that.’ जयप्रकाश नारायण जी के नाम पर होने वाली नेशनल इंस्टीटय़ूट ऑफ ह्यूमेनटीज़ मध्य प्रदेश में होगी और वर्ष 2017-18 से उसका काम शुरू हो जाएगा। इसकी मैं घोषणा करना चाहता हूं।

          अफोर्डबिलिटी की बात भी कही गयी है। Four corners of Education Policy have to be accessibility, quality, affordability and accountability.  We have to work within that parameter. अफोर्डबिलिटी में सब ने कहा कि दो लाख रुपये किया गया, लेकिन मैं एक बात बताना चाहता हूं कि आईआईटी के एक छात्र पर हम हर साल 6 लाख रुपये खर्च करते हैं। जिस गरीब के बच्चे ने कभी आईआईटी नहीं देखा है, वह भी टैक्स देता है। उस गरीब को भी न्याय चाहिए, जिसके लिए हमने चार प्रावधान किए हैं, जिसमें शेडय़ूल्ड कास्ट्स, शेडय़ूल्ड ट्राइब्स और दिव्यांग में जिनका रिजर्वेशन है, उनको सारी फीस माफ है। बीजू जी ने जो मुद्दा उठाया है, I will take note of it.  I will discuss it with my officers. उसको पहले भरकर रिअम्बर्स करने की जगह क्या किया जा सकता है? We will definitely look into it.  But, more importantly, एक लाख रूपये से कम की जिनकी इनकम हैं, जो बहुत गरीब हैं...(व्यवधान)

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: IIMs and IITs have increased the fees enormously.

SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR: IIM is different.  I am talking about NITs.  It is Rs.1.25 lakh for NIT but we are incurring Rs.2,75,000 expenditure  per student. यह भी हमें समझना चाहिए, आखिर हम देश के लोगों के नुमाइंदे हैं।We must understand what the actual expenditure is; what is to be recorded and how to record. हमने एक नया निर्णय किया और यह बहुत क्रांतिकारी है। यह मोदी जी की प्रेरणा है कि गरीब को शिक्षा से वंचित नहीं होना पड़े। जिनकी नौ लाख तक की वार्षिक आय है, उनके लिए शिक्षा ऋण भी मिलेगा और यह ऋण उनके लिए इंटरेस्ट फ्री होगा। यानी चार साल के लिए लोन का समय देखें तो उसमें उस लोन से भी ज्यादा पैसा हम एक तरह से इंटरेस्ट फ्री के रूप में दे रहे हैं, लेकिन यह हमेशा चर्चा का मुद्दा रहेगा। टेक्नोलोजी में हम तीन चीजें करना चाहते हैं। टेक्नोलोजी के माध्यम से शिक्षा सभी को जो स्कूल से बाहर गए हैं, जो कालेज से बाहर गए है, जो दूर-दराज एरियाज़ में रहते हैं उन्हें कैसे शिक्षा मिलेगी, इसके लिए स्वयं का इनिशिएटिव ओपन लर्निंग का टेक्नोलोजी के द्वारा टीवी के माध्यम से, इंटरनेट के माध्यम से भी, एनी व्हेयर एजुकेशन, एनी टाइम एजुकेशन की दिशा में जाने का प्रयास किया जा रहा है क्योंकि सभी तक शिक्षा पहुंचानी है, क्वालिटी एजुकेशन पहुंचानी है। स्वयंप्रभा का एक कार्यक्रम है, आईआईटी पाल का कार्यक्रम है, जेईई के लिए आठ लाख, पन्द्रह लाख बच्चे बैठते हैं। उनके लिए भी करना है। सभी कोटा में दौड़ते हैं, लाखों छात्र टय़ूशंस में जाते हैं उन्हें भी फ्री में अच्छी टय़ूशन मिले, होम वर्क मिले, टय़ूटोरियल मिलें। बहुत बच्चों को कोचिंग सैंटर न जाना पड़े इसके लिए भी नए इनिशिएटिव्स को हम तैयार कर रहे हैं।

          लास्ट में मैं इतना कहना चाहूंगा कि हमारे साथी जयप्रकाश नारायण जी ने कहा कि नालंदा और विक्रमशिला विश्वविद्यालय की कितनी बड़ी विरासत हमारे पास है। परसों ही यूनेस्को ने नालंदा को वर्ल्ड्स कल्चरल हेरीटेज के रूप में मान्यता दी है। मैं इतना ही कहना चाहूंगा,yes, India is proud to be a great knowledge centre in history and we will, all of us, again take pride in making this great nation a knowledge hub.

          Thank you.

SHRI MALLIKARJUN KHARGE: Sir, only one thing is that SC, ST and OBCs will get free seats.  At the time of admission, they have to pay the fees and the Government will reimburse after 8-9 months.  That is why, many poor people will not be able to get admission.  क्योंकि पहले तो वे कहां से दो-ढाई लाख रुपये लायेंगे, वे नहीं ला सकते। इसीलिए आप उन्हें एडमिशन दीजिए, उन्हें गवर्नमैन्ट से रीइम्बर्स होने दीजिए। कोई गरीब दो लाख, ढाई लाख या कुछ भी पैसा, जो आप फिक्स करेंगे, वह नहीं दे सकता तो उसकी एडमिशन चली जाती है, फिर बाद में वही सीट जनरल लोगों को दे दी जाती है on the pretext that they have not taken admission, that is why, it goes to general quota.इसलिए एक तरफ रखकर दूसरी तरफ से नहीं निकालना चाहिए। आप एक जेब में दे रहे हैं और दूसरी जेब से निकाल रहे हैं।

          इसीलिए मेरी रिक्वैस्ट है कि आप एडमिशन दीजिए, उसे आप गवर्नमैन्ट से रीइम्बर्स कर लो।  You can do it directly.

SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR:  As far as NIT and IITs are concerned, it is a fee waiver and not reimbursement.  It is a complete fee waiver for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and persons with physical disability or as we call them Divyang and up to the income of Rs.5 lakh, there is two-third waiver.  So, they have to pay only Rs.60,000.  So, we have graded it.  It is a graded fee structure and not a uniform Rs.2 lakh effectively.  So, there is no case of reimbursement.  Mr. Biju for IIT and NIT, it is fee waiver.

SHRI MOHAMMAD SALIM (RAIGANJ): I am happy.  There was a positive discussion and you have replied to that also.  You have given much importance to research.  Now most of the middle class people refrain from going for research because the scholarship is not distributed on time.  For example, Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan Research Scholarship for post-doctoral is stopped since March and only the day before yesterday, they received it.  It is good.  I have raised this matter time and again.  I pointed it out to your predecessor also.  All these scholarships for the research scholars – Ph.D. and post-doctoral – should be reimbursed timely.  Otherwise, those who are going for jobs, are getting monthly salary and those who are going for research, get the money once in six months or one year.  So, that backlog should not be there.

SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR: I will definitely look into it.

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: The question is:

“That the Bill further to amend the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research Act, 2007, be taken into consideration.”   The motion was adopted.

 

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Now we will take up clause by clause consideration of the Bill.

 

Clause 2               Amendment of First Schedule to  

 Act 29 of 2007   

   

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury – not present.  

The question is:  

“That clause 2 stand part of the Bill.”  

The motion was adopted.  

Clause 2 was added to the Bill.  

Clause 1, the Enacting Formula and the Long Title were added to the Bill.  

   

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: The Minister may now move that the Bill be passed.  
  

SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR: Sir, I beg to move:  

“That the Bill be passed.”  

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: The question is:  

“That the Bill be passed.”  

The motion was adopted.  

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: The House stands adjourned to meet tomorrow, the 22nd July, 2016 at 11.00 a.m. 18.45 hours The Lok Sabha then adjourned till Eleven of the Clock on Friday, July 22, 2016/Ashadha 31, 1938 (Saka).       

   

*ण्ड्ढ म्श्र्द अ र्ठ्ठद्धत्ड्ढड्ड ठ्ठडदृध्ड्ढ ण्ड्ढ दठ्ठर्ड्ढ दृढ ठ्ठ ग्ड्ढथ्र्डड्ढद्ध त्दड्डत्हठ्ठय्ड्ढद्म् ण्ठ्ठद्य् ण्ड्ढ र्द्वड्ढद्य्त्दृद र्ठ्ठद्म् ठ्ठहय्द्वठ्ठथ्न्र् ठ्ठत्ड्ढड्ड दृद ण्ड्ढ ढथ्दृदृद्ध दृढ ण्ड्ढ Hदृद्वम्ड्ढ डन्र् ण्ठ्ठद्य् ग्ड्ढथ्र्डड्ढद्ध.

     

*ग़्दृद्य् द्धड्ढहदृद्धड्डड्ढड्ड.

*ग़्दृद्य् द्धड्ढहदृद्धड्डड्ढड्ड.

*ग़्दृद्य् द्धड्ढहदृद्धड्डड्ढड्ड.

*ग़्दृद्य् द्धड्ढहदृद्धड्डड्ढड्ड.

 

*ग़्दृद्य् द्धड्ढहदृद्धड्डड्ढड्ड.

**.....।। Eदर्थ्त्द्म्ण् य्द्धठ्ठदथ्ठ्ठय्त्दृद दृढ य्ण्त्द्म् द्रठ्ठद्धद्य् दृढ ण्ड्ढ म्द्रड्ढड्ढहण्  र्ठ्ठद्म् दृद्धश्र्त्दठ्ठथ्न्र् ड्डड्ढथ्त्ध्ड्ढद्धड्ढड्ड त्द ख्ठ़्ठददठ्ठड्डठ्ठ.

*ग़्दृद्य्  द्धड्ढहदृद्धड्डड्ढड्ड.

*ग़्दृद्य् द्धड्ढहदृद्धड्डड्ढड्ड.

 

*ग़्दृद्य् द्धड्ढहदृद्धड्डड्ढड्ड.