Patna: Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal has said the proposed Higer Eduction and Research Bill ‘intended solely to strengthen the higher education system’ and for prescribing minimum standard of education for grant of degree.
The proposed bill aims to subsume the functions of the UGC, AICTE, AICTI, NCTI and DEC, he said in a letter to Bihar State Bar Council.
Kapil Sibal. PTI
The bill, Sibal said, will not be in the way of the Bar Council of India or the State Bar Council, which will continue to exercise its powers of inspection of law institutions awarding LLB degree for maintaining the standard of legal education.
The bill will also not interfere in the regulation of disciplinary powers of these bodies, Officiating Secretary Ashok Kumar said quoting letter from Sibal.
He also offered to discuss the matter with the representative of the Bar Council of India and its state bodies and explain the issues relating to the proposed bill.
Baleshwar Prasad Sharma, Chairman of Bihar State Bar council said the letter bears Sibal’s signature but it is without date or any reference number.
Quoting J R Sharma, Secretary of the Bar Council of India, Kumar said a considerable number of BCI members and representatives of the state Bar Council will sit on dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on August 8, the opening day of the monsoon session of Parlaiment against the bill.
PTI
