The Union government indicated on Thursday that it might welcome foreign direct investment in the field of higher education and formulate a policy on it.
"I don't think ideologically anything wrong in that. But some kind of control has to be maintained because education is a sensitive area," Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh told reporters when asked about FDI in higher education particularly in engineering and technical education.
$1 bn aid for education project
Referring to the Free and Compulsory Education Bill, 2004, which would activate the Constitution Amendment Bill making education a fundamental right, he hoped that the Bill would be coming up in the Budget session.
On the provision of a cess for education, which has been reflected in the Common Minimum Programme, Singh said the idea had been welcomed by all.
After reviewing the performance of educational schemes enunciated by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government, the minister said he would study the progress of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, which he felt, was by and large all right.
Singh said after the Parliament session, he proposed to visit Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh and also some North Eastern states to look into the implementation of SSA.
To a question on reservation of 20 per cent seats for poor children in public schools as proposed in the Bill and directed by the court, he said it was yet to be decided what shape the Bill would take when it comes up in the Budget session.
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