Kapil Sibal

Finally, the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill 2005 has got approval of the Union Cabinet. The Bill seeks to make free education for all the children in the 6 to 14 age group mandatory. 

 The UPA Government came in for censure from Bharatiya Janata Party for its bold educational reforms plans. The right wing party especially pulled up the Government for not taking State governments into confidence before announcing such sweeping reforms. It is incumbent on the government to do so considering that education falls in the concurrent list. 

 In his scheme of things, the Union Minister of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Kapil Sibal, has made it clear that there is provision for just one national examination board. At present there are two national boards in the country in addition to many state-wise boards.

Having propounded the idea of sweeping education reforms the new Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal may have to brace for a long battle with opponents of the reforms who want to maintain status quo in the education system. 

Foreign direct investment (FDI) in education sector finds favour with the Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal. The minister wants unrestricted entry to FDI in education sector without governmental curbs or ceilings on its volume. 

Terming the Indian education system a source of trauma for parents and students alike, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal dismissed class X board exams is marks-centred. The minister hinted that the government was actively considering replacing the Board with an unconventional system of evaluating students’ caliber which instead of percentages makes percentiles the bases for evaluation.