Education is not monopoly of Central govt: Bhatti

Speaking at the national convention on higher education organised at Tiruvananthapuram on Thursday, Bhatti conveyed greetings to all who attended on behalf of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and people of Telangana.

Though Revanth Reddy could not attend the convention organised by the Kerala State government, Bhatti said he was deputed by his Chief Minister to convey the strong stance on providing autonomy to States in formulating their own future education policy.

Bhatti first spoke about the impact of UGC draft guidelines, autonomy of States, steps taken in the education sector in Telangana State and then followed it up with a power point presentation. The Centre was expecting States to provide funds and run the universities but removing their role in the appointment of Vice Chancellors and in admissions.

If this situation is allowed then States will be confined to ribbon cutting ceremonies at the inauguration of buildings. Bhatti said that the education sector is in the concurrent list and it is not the monopoly of the Central government.

The States would build educational institutions and systems suitable to their respective people and social setups. There would be no similarity between the two States. No State could provide quality education without autonomy, he asserted. All the States should emphatically convey their opinion on such an important priority subject without merely confining themselves to the discussions alone, he said.

When States stand united with a common objective, the Centre must listen. The States are not mere administrative units but lifelines for the progress of the country, he added.

Only a State will know the aspirations of their students, their pulse and special challenges to be overcome and Delhi could not run the education sector through remote control. The Centre should formulate policies in tune with the requirements of States, he argued.

Stating that cooperation does not mean coercion but consultation, Bhatti said that if the Centre truly believed in the spirit of federalism, it should hold discussions with the States to understand their view point. The States are not seeking help but explaining emphatically about their role in the education system, he said.

If States voice their views unitedly, their reverberations would reach any distance and history proved that, he pointed out. Education is the way to open minds, not to close them. Autonomy and good governance are the only means to achieve this objective now and for the coming generations. “That responsibility is upon all of us,” he said.

Bhatti, in a powerpoint presentation, explained about the reforms taken up in the education sector in Telangana under the leadership of Revanth Reddy and the results achieved. He also gave a presentation on cooperative federalism and UGC’s latest guidelines.

Quoting Indian Constitution Chief Architect BR Ambedkar’s principle that people should be educated, active, united and with self confidence, Bhatti commenced his power point presentation. He said their government gave top priority to education believing it is the foundation for progress.

The Congress government in Telangana was setting up Integrated Residential Schools. Young India Skill University was being set up and teachers’ posts were being filled on priority basis from schools to universities.

The skill development programmes were launched in technical courses and encouragement was being given to Digital Telangana in the education sector. The higher education sector was being strengthened with development of basic amenities.

Bhatti shared that the students of social welfare hostels, residential schools were showing excellent performance in board exams and competitive examinations and proving the impact of their institutions on their education.

Thanks to the focus given by the State government, the enrollment ratio of students increased to 40 per cent as against the national average of 28.4 per cent. The Centre should respect the autonomy of States in education and health sectors. Bhatti recalled in his presentation that in the case of Rajasthan Vs Indian Union, the Apex Court noted India is bound by the Federal Constitution.

In Keshavananda Bharathi Vs Kerala State case, the court noted that federalism is the basic feature of Indian Constitution, he pointed out in the convention.

Eliminating the role of State government in the appointment of Vice Chancellors and Search Committee and amending the eligibility criteria of vice chancellors was a matter of serious concern, he said.

He also said making entrance tests mandatory for admission into undergraduate courses would deprive students of backward classes from pursuing higher education.

As per the Brookings Report, there are on an average about 690 students per higher education institution as against 16,000 in China. If enrollment of 3,000 students is made standard, then many higher education institutions would lose good ranking and possibility of getting funding.

Such a system will only encourage big corporate and private institutions and cause immense loss to the educational institutions working with welfare orientation. Bhatti said that large scale provision of facilities and appointment of additional teaching staff was required for conducting two examinations per year. The States must be provided financial resources on a large scale if they have to implement it.

Reiterating that the Centre should hold consultations with States as education is in the concurrent list, Bhatti in his valedictory address demanded that all the States should unitedly give shape to the spirit of genuine federalism.

The Telangana government is ready to organise the next conference at Hyderabad and thereby a possibility will be there to formulate an action plan on behalf of States. The democratic trait of India is unique and nothing should hurt this spirit, he said.

The States have the right to choose the right path and if the right decision is not taken, the States will have to face serious consequences in future, he cautioned.