http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=2&theme=&usrsess=1&id=142697
Another rift in Knowledge Commission Statesman News Service CHIDAMBARAM, Jan. 6: Differences in the National Knowledge Commission, set up in 2005, came to the fore today when its vice-chairman, Mr P M Bhargava, alleged that he was not consulted on several of the reports submitted by the commission to the Prime Minister. The commission was embroiled in controversy last year when two of its members, Pratap Bhanu Mehta and Andre Beteille, resigned over the reservation issue. It originally comprised eight members. Mr Bhargava complained that he had not been consulted or informed before the panel, headed by telecom wizard Sam Pitroda, submitted its report on higher education to the government. "I have disagreements over several points in the report. For instance, I want universities to offer undergraduate courses also.... One should learn to respect dissent," he said, after delivering a lecture at the Indian Science Congress here. "I came to know about most of the reports on various issues submitted to the Prime Minister through newspapers. I was consulted only when the panel submitted white papers on e-governance and translation earlier last year . At least four other reports have been submitted on vocational education, libraries, language and integration of knowledge systems without my being consulted or informed," he said. Mr Bhargava also said that though the panel had been assigned a very important task, it was not meeting on a regular basis. "The Prime Minister is looking for revolutionary recommendations from the commission. Even the National Security Advisory Council, which has former chiefs of the three arms of the defence forces, meets twice a month. The commission has been meeting only once in four months. The last meeting was held in October and we do not know when it will meet again." Mr Bhargava said he had mentioned the issue of functioning of the commission in a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh two weeks ago. He had been invited for another meeting over lunch on 9 January, he added. There was a need to strengthen the school system which would do away with need for reservations in higher education, he said, suggesting the concept of common schools, run by local self-governments with funding from the Central government. These should provide free education to all, he said. Private individuals may be allowed to construct schools, but with the condition that they would be operated and maintained by the government "Before the 1960's there were only government schools. All our leaders in the past had studied in those schools only," he said.
