The Centre proposes to establish educational tribunals to adjudicate litigations between students and institution managements, HRD minister Kapil Sibal said on Friday

In some cases, he said, disputes between students and teachers of private sector institutions could be addressed.

Speaking at the 20th convocation of Puducherry University, he said the "unprecedented" investment in education in the 11th five year plan is to ensure that the nation can avail of a critical mass of educated human resource to provide the country the necessary advantage.

Sibal advocated a shift from the earlier paradigm of education system that was linear, passive, hierarchical and non-participatory, to dynamic, inclusive and integrated system, focussed on cultivating creativity and intellectual skills and geared to provide vocational or professional or technical education required in the global workplace.

He said the gross enrolment ratio has to be raised as the nation's non-tangible assets are constituted by intellectuals who would be the most critical component for development.

Sibal said allocation for education in the 11th plan has been increased to 19 per cent,up from 7.7 per cent in the previous plan.

He said education has become a national priority and stressed the need to provide increased access to all, coupled with improved educational standards.

"Education is now considered a national priority and that is why the Right to Education Act had been enforced," he said.

Earlier, he conferred Honorary Doctorate degrees on Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Dr Farooq Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer of South Asian University, Prof G K Chadha and lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar.

Abdullah said, "We will work together for a better tomorrow, better nation and a better world".

Vice-Chancellor Prof J A K Tareen said a state-of-the-art 2,500-seat convention centre would be built at a cost of RS 35 crore and requested Sibal to declare the University as a model university so that it can have world class standards.

He sought a one-time grant of Rs 100 crore as a 'gift' on the occasion of Silver Jubilee Year of the University.

Puducherry Lt Governor Dr Iqbal Singh (Chief Rector of the University), Chief Minister V Vaithilingam, Education Minister M O H Shahjahan and Rajya Sabha Member P Kannan were among those present at the function where 15,377 candidates were awarded degree certificates on the occasion.