Submitted to the Government of India on June 23, the report by the Yash Pal Committee to advice on Renovation and Rejuvenation of Higher Education has evoked a positive response amongst educationists in India. The report calls for an end to license-raj in higher education sector with setting up of a single regulatory body and several other far-reaching reforms. To quote from the report (a copy of which is with MBAUniverse.com), “We have suggested that the present regulating bodies should all be subsumed within a National Commission for Higher Education and Research (NCHER).” It also says, “I would like to mention our deep concern in respect of two matters. Mushrooming engineering and management colleges, with some notable exceptions, have largely become, mere business entities dispensing very poor quality education. Deemed Universities have also mushroomed.”
The Mr Kapil Sibal, the HRD minister, in various media interviews, has expressed his commitment to implementing the recommendation of this report.
Should this happen, what will be the impact on India’s burgeoning management education domain?
MBAUniverse.com analyzed the report and then sought opinions of management experts in the country. In this interview with MBAUniverse.com on the report, Prof Bala Balachandran, the J.L. Kellogg Distinguished Professor of Accounting and Information Management at Northwestern University (USA) and Founder & Dean of Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai comments that implementing the recommendations of reports will do much good to the Indian management education domain.
Excerpts from this interview:
Q: What is your overall assessment of Yash Pal Committee report on “Renovation and Rejuvenation of Higher Education” sector in India?
It is high time we consolidate all the Higher Education activities, the regulatory and facilitating bodies so that as a Reengineering Expert I applaud his committee report. It is high time in these days when we have UGC, AICTE other Professional bodies go in different angles and create more confusion. It is clear there are some below average MBA institutes are certified and approved by UGC with Deemed Univ. Status while some top MBA institutes like ISB is not approved by AICTE which gets international recognition. Such anomalies and the connections that some MBA institutes enjoy lead to confusion to many citizens and it is high time a BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE has been formed in the Yash Pal Committee who have done a super-job that is timely, relevant, progressive and productive rather destructive. I am in all praise though some improvements can be made.
Q: The report calls for setting up of a National Commission for Higher Education and Research (NCHER). How will this have an impact on the education sector?
NCHER is the right Forum for multiple objectives:
a. To prevent substandard organizations which are created without good faculty or programs but exist for making money in the short run can be prevented.
b. High level organizations with good faculty both full time and visiting from other parts of India or internationally are nurtured, encouraged and facilitated.
c. Be a Think tank to come up with innovative programs and structures so that this Knowledge Society of India from Higher Education moves from "Good to Great"
Q: The report also calls for a review of ‘Deemed Universities’ that are mushrooming in recent times. What’s your view?
It is unfortunate in Many Countries including in India, a goal or a scheme that was set up with lofty goals like Deemed University to recognize institutions like Tata Inst. of Fundamental Research, should get a chance as Deemed Univ. This has been ABUSED by Skillful money minded Business Fellows coupled with a few Corrupt Politicians and their associates to their Personal Advantage. If such a thing happens less frequently like less than 5% the system is "Approximately Right" But if that is the norm while deserving and truly top institutions are Rejected leave alone not encouraged then the System is to be detested, loathed and people perpetrating this should be brought to justice.
I am positive the new HRD Minister Honorable Kapil Sibal whom I admire when I met him coming to Chicago Consul General Office for supporting the Government’s stand on Nuclear Deal and when I had a conversation he wanted to do something like this for India. Now that he got the right ministry, I am confident he will do the Right things and not Things Right. I wish him all success and hope his attempts are successful as it has started .I will be delighted to volunteer my services since I had such experience in both U.S. and in India.
Q: In your view, if implemented, what impact with this report have on management education sector?
As an advisor to Dr. Y.V. Reddy, the former Governor of RBI, I used to tell him that "If you don't understand something, How can you Regulate?" The fiasco of Sept --8 with the economic mess in U.S. was anticipated as early as 2000 in the sub-prime mess and the Greed that happened in the name of Incentives.
The new scheme will not only facilitate ‘Sound Management Principles’, but also stress the fact of creating Leaders and not simply Managers, leading to Masters of Business Readiness as we follow and not Masters of Business Administration emphasizing Money Value of Time as opposed to Time Value of Money that traditional Finance teaches.
I think at my School Great Lakes Institute of Management, that I have founded and serving as Dean , we are looking at New Management Principles, like Passion with Compassion, the potential for "Abundance transforming to Affluence transforming into Arrogance transforming into Annihilation" and thus Karma Yoga and Principles of Bhagavad Gita in Management where ‘You Do Your Duty and the Results will be decided by God’. Karmanya Vadhi Karasthey Maa Paleshu Kadhachana.
Q: What is your feedback and suggestions to Ministry of HRD & Yash Committee with respect to changes/reforms in management education sector?
I think that these suggestions are good steps. We need the SEED Farm and then only the WHEAT Farm. You cannot eat the SEED Wheat. They are left to grow more wheat. Thus we need to look strongly on Higher Education that transforms potential: Ph.Ds doing relevant teaching and research; the need has come to balance the Academic Elegance with Business Relevance; and the Time has come to understand Change and Changing needs for Curriculum.
We should support and subsidize Ph.D. type of advanced education who can produce better students and we are in acute shortage. This NCHER should constantly coordinate and co-create value with Knowledge Commission headed by my friend Sam Pitroda and evolve in a System of growth in Knowledge from KG to Ph.D. in one seamless path with responsibility, accountability and transparency.
I am glad Dr. Man Mohan Singh got re-elected and India can grow with gusto. Yesterday is our Experience, Today is our Experiment and Tomorrow is our Expectations. Let us leverage of Experience, exploit the current experiment's outcome to adapt and modify with flexibility and make our Expectations for a Developed Country providing Moral Leadership to the world over!
