Govt mulls ombudsman in higher edu instis -Governance Now

Govt mulls ombudsman in higher edu instis

Likely to have the jurisdiction to hear grievances concerning denial of admission, non-observance of declared merit in admission and non-observance of applicable regulations for reservation

PTI | January 17, 2012

In good news for students, the government has decided to have a grievance redressal mechanism in higher educational institutions.

The mechanism, which is likely to come into effect from the coming academic session, will require every institute to constitute an ombudsman, said HRD minister Kapil Sibal, adding it will be implemented through an executive order.

Students of both management and technical institutes, central and deemed-to-be universities will benefit from it apart from teachers of education institutions under National Council of Teachers Education.

The ombudsman shall deliver order within one month.

Though the order would not be binding on the institution, the regulator would rely on the frequency of non-observance of the order to decide on continued recognition to such institutions, said a statement of the ministry.

"The parliamentary standing committee, while examining the Bill to prohibit and punish unfair practices, had recommended to constitute the grievance redressal mechanisms in higher education institution," Sibal told reporters here.

The ombudsman will handle all student related grievances except the service related issues concerning the teachers.

The ombudsman shall have the jurisdiction to hear grievances concerning denial of admission, non-observance of declared merit in admission and non-observance of applicable regulations for reservation.

Issues concerning withholding documents and non refund of fees in case of withdrawal of admission, discrimination and other such matters about students in pursuit of studies in the institution will also be handled by him, Sibal said.

The move comes as the HRD Ministry's much-vaunted Educational Tribunal passed is pending in Parliament for over a year now, diminishing hopes of lakhs of students looking for prompt redressal to their grievances.

The ombudsman will also act in filtering matters before they are taken up in the proposed education tribunals, sources in the HRD Ministry said.

According to Sibal, person with judicial or legal experience to be appointed as ombudsman from a panel suggested by the affiliating university for technical and management institutions, by the Central government for deemed universities and by the regulator for non-degree granting institutions.

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