'Our problem is not a budget deficit but a trust deficit. We need to trust our institutions and industries to innovate and lead. That is the way forward for India.'
The vice-chairman has sent his recommendations separately to the PM.
US President Barack Obama on Sunday got first hand account of how IT has revolutionised life in rural India, when villagers of Kanpura near Ajmer interacted with him in Mumbai through video conference.
Telecom guru Sam Pitroda on Wednesday said India should not try to copy the consumption-based economic model of the United States, saying it won't work for this country.
Sixty-year-old Pitroda, who was appointed to the new post on Tuesday, will have the rank of a Cabinet minister.
India's business leaders have reacted strongly to government opposition to the opening up of higher education to private investment that might help millions of young people.
Telecommunications icon and entrepreneur Sam Pitroda, who is the chairman of National Knowledge Commission, tasked with building excellence in India's education system to meet the challenges of the 21st century, has said India faces serious problems in its higher education system and that unless it is alleviated expeditiously, the Indian march to become a major global player could be adversely impacted.
The proposed Vedanta University is likely to get chairman of National Knowledge Commission Sam Pitroda as its first Chancellor, Orissa's higher education minister Debi Prasad Mishra said on Thursday.
The move was initiated by National Knowledge Commission Chairman Sam Pitroda as an incentive to encourage innovation, collaboration, licensing and commercialisation in Indian institutes. The matter is before the Cabinet and will shortly be moved to Parliament for approval, according to a source close to the development. The law will be on the lines of the 1980 Bayh-Dole Act of America.
Sam Pitroda, chairman of India's National Knowledge Commission, believes the United States' model of a liberal arts education is applicable in the revamping of higher education in India and that such a model is very much in the works.He noted during a conference on Higher Education Policies in India, China and the United States, "Too much focus on engineering and medical education has created a situation where liberal arts really did not get due recognition," he said.
The country needed to focus on applications for education, e-governance, health, food and developing local applications in future, he said in his keynote address through tele-conferencing at the CII organised `Comtel 2008' on the theme `Breaking Barriers, Bridging the Divide' in Bangalore on Wednesday.
The commission also suggested that financiers need to be more proactive in assessing the business opportunities generated by entrepreneurs in the country. According to the study, there is a strong perception among entrepreneurs that start-up funding is very difficult in the country. Along with the problem of getting funds, the entrepreneurs also face skill-shortages and find it difficult to get the right candidate for the jobs, the commission found.
Centre could experiment in setting up education parks in the country like in IT sector and workout to provide special incentives to those setting up the parks, National Knowledge Commission chairman Sam G Pitroda said. He said government could experiment in establishing education parks so that it can work out strategies to enhance quality of education.
National Knowledge Commission has recommended enactment of a legislation that would give universities and research institutions ownership and patent rights over inventions from government-funded research.
Well-known atheists, humanists and rationalists would participate in the conference titled 'The Necessity of Atheism'
The extension has been given by the Prime Minister's Office which said the NKC should focus on 'implementation' of the recommendations which it has submitted to the government during its three-year term that is ending this month. The NKC has decided to start 10 different portals on different areas to help people get information on NKC and facilitate interaction.
Given the spectrum crunch, it is not clear when the company will get a licence. India is the world's second-fastest growing telecom market and several companies, including Himachal Futuristic, have applied for mobile licences.
The National Knowledge Commission is setting up an online network that will enable college students to access study material and connect with institutions and faculty members from around the world by the year 2008.
Bhargava, believed to have differences with Pitroda, said he had to pay for being honest and truthful.
The Planning Commission may suggest an increase in education fees for higher education to Finance Minister P Chidambaram this year. Do you think this hike is justified?
Addressing the 'Infovision 2006 Knowledge Summit' through videoconferencing from Chicago, Pitroda said the public portal is being developed by NKC member and Infosys CEO Nandan M Nilekani and his family through their foundation.
National Knowledge Commission Chairman Sam Pitroda made a strong pitch on Thursday for India getting into telecom manufacturing in a big way to address the demand.
Telecom industry in India is the fastest growing in the world
National Knowledge Commission Member Deepak Nayyar has observed that China would emerge as world factory and India with its knowledge power, the world office.
There were opportunities in having these people to open bank accounts and use phone banking, said Pitroda.
Bhargava is a pioneer in the field of biotechnology in the country.
'The mood in the country is the challenge. Everything is going well, but nobody is feeling good. Why? I don't know. Maybe aspirations are too high... The most important thing in life is to be a good person. Rahul is a wonderful person. He is a thinking man. He has convictions and is passionate about his work.' Sam Pitroda discusses the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi in an exclusive interview with Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt.
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