Click to play videoNew Delhi: 'Expansion, inclusion and excellence' is the catch line of the Veerappa Moily Committee.
The Committee is bending backwards to implement the UPA Government's commitment of 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes in institutes of higher education by the academic year 2007- 2008.
The question that arises is what will be the cost of putting the reservation into action?
"Our report says it will cost about Rs 16,000 crore, taking into account recurring and non-recurring expenditure," says Chairman of Admin Reforms Commission, Veerappa Moily.
Moily says the cost estimate has already been discussed with the Planning Commission and the Finance Ministry.
The question that comes to the forefront is how will the money be spent.
Here are recommendations from five expert groups on different subjects that were part of the Oversight Committee:
The central universities group:
- To make up for faculty shortage, re-employ retired teachers or appoint teachers on contract
- Pay a reasonable honorarium and lift the ban on hiring non-teaching staff
- Increase recurring expenditure to make up for poor infrastructure
The agriculture sub group:
- Hire post-graduate and PhD students to teach
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Extend the retirement age of teachers to 70 years
The management group:
- To protect the brand equity of premier institutes like Indian Institute of Management (IIM), the management sub-group suggests restricting OBC reservation only to the post-graduate diploma and equivalent programmes
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Retain qualified faculty with handsome packages
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Set up an Empowered Committee in each IIM to help expand infrastructure
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The threshold for admission to be decided only by the institution concerned.
The engineering and technology group:
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Since this group will spend the bulk of the funds—over Rs 9,300 crore, it suggests aggressive fast track recruitment strategies for faculty
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Sops include jobs for spouses and assurance of admission for children
The medical group:
- Faculty enhancement within norms laid down by the Medical Council of India.
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Additional lecture halls, library facilities and accommodation for residents and staff to be made available in 2 years.
The final reports of these expert groups are now due on August 10, after which the Moily Committee will submit its final report on August 31.
A call on whether this will be implemented in a phased manner or in one go will depend on these reports.
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