Ludhiana: Punjab Educationists’ Forum (PEF) has demanded formation of a higher education regulatory commission in Punjab like in Himachal Pradesh, to ensure appropriate standards of admission, teaching, examinations, research and protection of the interests of students.
The forum members also claimed that the present higher education policies of Punjab were promoting commercialisation and privatisation of higher education, leading to mushrooming of private universities in the state.
A deputation of Punjab Educationists’ Forum, led by president Tarsem Bahia earlier met principal secretary of higher education S Rahul Bhandari and special secretary/DPI Colleges S Paramjit Singh and discussed various issues pertaining to higher education in Punjab, including the fall outs of new national education policy.
The issue regarding the establishment of autonomous colleges without affiliation to any university was also discussed and authorities assured to maintain the status quo of already existing institutions.
The issue regarding the existence of single faculty colleges like BEd colleges was also discussed where authorities assured to resolve it by constituting high powered committee in near future.