Indian edu system over-regulated and under-governed: Tharoor

The India educational system is over-regulated and under-governed, former Union Minister of State for Human Resources Shashi Tharoor said here today.

"I believe that our educational system is over-regulated and under-governed. We have too many rules and regulations. We have too much emphasis on controls from the top on uniformity.

"We have an apex institution in the UGC and the Ministry of Human Resources Development, that tell the universities what kind of syllabus they can teach, how many years a course must last, what the size of a classroom should be.. but (they are) least concerned about the learning outcome of the educational experience," said Tharoor.

Tharoor, a Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, was speaking at the University of Hyderabad on 'Educational Policies in today's Era' organised by the National Students Union of India (NSUI).

He, however, said he is not critical about any particular university or the institution and there are several quality institutions which produce quality students. According to him, the lack of employable qualities in the students prompt companies such as Tatas, Wipro and Infosys to establish their own institutions.

Talking about the freedom of speech in educational institutions, he said debating and arguing are also part of the education and the students must learn from extra-curricular activities too.

"Education does not take place only in classrooms. You must learn in the classroom. You must learn in the library. But you must also learn from experience of being a student.

"From attending talks, from going to lectures, from arguing with your fellow students... All this is part of the education. And what is lacking in the present regime is the adequate appreciation of this," he said.

"It does not matter if students shout irresponsible slogans. Or say things you disapprove of. At the same time opposing them and attacking their demonstrations, as we have seen recently in Ramjas College, and arresting them on charges of sedition, as we saw in JNU, actually militates fundamentally against the very spirit of the enquiry that is at the heart of the education," he opined.

Tharoor said the medical education has become the source of scandals and blamed the Medical Council of India (MCI) for not increasing the number of seats to facilitate the education for all deserving students.

"The medical education is a scandal in this country. So many bright and talented students who want to be doctors and want to serve the nation are unable to get into the college due to limited seats available. It is because, unfortunately the MCI and other institutions have suppressed the number of places (seats) available," he opined.

Justifying his term as a Minister of State for HRD in the previous UPA Government, he said he did whatever he could do as a minister. He said the country should have an educational system that allows more and more people the opportunity to learn, ensure that people of all sections embrace the system and are given an opportunity to study and also ensure that the students are equipped with better skills after they come out of educational institutions.