Pb govt panning to form regulatory authority for pvt varsities

Following concerns raised by several ruling coalition MLAs, the Punjab government today said it is planning to set up Punjab Educational Institute Regulatory Authority to keep a tab on private universities and restrain them from taking "excess" fees and "donations" from students.
On the concluding day of the Winter Session, several SAD and BJP MLAs raised questions over allowing new private universities in the state and sought a regulatory check on them to prevent "exploitation" of students.
"The Punjab Educational Institute Regulatory Authority Act will be brought and this matter is under consideration (of the government)...," Higher Education Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra said in the House after the Sant Baba Bhag Singh University Bill 2014 was presented in the Assembly.

Earlier, participating in the discussion on the Bill, BJP MLA Manoranjan Kalia sought formation of a commission for regulation of private universities.
"There should be a regulatory commission in the state so that students are not exploited in any way. Students passed out of these universities should also get jobs," Kalia said in the House. These universities should not be mere "graduates creating machines", he added.
"There is no authority in the state to check whether such universities have adequate infrastructure for students," Kalia said while observing that mushrooming of private universities had made a dent on the credibility of a university.

Participating in the discussion, Akali MLA Nirmal Singh said, "The state government has no control over a private university. These universities have full authorities to charge fee whatever they want from students. Moreover, neither Punjab Governor nor state government has control over them."
BJP MLA Som Prakash said there are already 22 private universities operating in Punjab and two more have been proposed to be set up.