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Even as India cries foul over the treatment meted out to its students enrolled at the now derecognised Tri-Valley University in California, an important Bill that seeks to prevent similar frauds within the country has been awaiting Parliamentary approval since last May.
The Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Technical Educational Institutions, Medical Educational Institutions and Universities Bill, 2010 provides for the prohibition of certain unfair practices in technical educational institutions and universities and protects the interests of students admitted or seeking admission. It seeks to prohibit the acceptance of admission fee and other charges without receipt, including the charging of capitation fee; ban the granting of admission without conducting specified tests; and make it mandatory for institutions to provide complete information in its prospectus. The Bill prohibits the refusal to return or withhold, degrees, diplomas or refund fees, and charges a hefty penalty for misleading and false advertisements, while making the demanding of capitation fee a cognizable offence.
The Bill describes “advertisement” as any document described or issued as advertisement through any form of the media. It includes any notice, circular or other documents inviting persons domiciled in India for admission to technical educational institutions, medical educational institutions and education in universities.
Section 8 of the Bill says that no institution shall issue or publish any advertisement which induces students to take admission in the institution, falsely claiming to be recognised by the appropriate statutory authority, or any information, through advertisement or otherwise, in respect of its infrastructure or academic facilities or faculty or standard of instruction or academic/research performance, which the institution — or person authorised to issue such advertisement on behalf of the institution — knows to be false, or not based on facts, or misleading.
Most of the students are lured into taking admission into these sham or ‘fly-by-night' educational institutions through glossy advertisements published in newspapers and posted online. Several institutions in India claim to have tie-ups with institutions abroad. When the law comes into effect, not just the Indian partners, but any person responsible for the advertisements would be proceeded against.
According to Clause 12 of the Bill, any institution that publishes an advertisement which is false or misleading, would be liable to a penalty which may extend up to Rs.50 lakh and legal action as per the law of the land. Where an advertisement which provides untrue statements, or falsely describes facts, or is misleading, is issued, every person who authorised the issue of such advertisement shall be liable for prosecution.
The Human Resource Development Ministry has asked the public sector enterprise, the Educational Consultants India Ltd, to give a project report on the maintenance and updating of a web page that could be dedicated to students abroad. EdCIL offers consultancy and technical services in different areas of education not only within the country but also on a global basis.
The Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Technical Educational Institutions, Medical Educational Institutions and Universities Bill, 2010 provides for the prohibition of certain unfair practices in technical educational institutions and universities and protects the interests of students admitted or seeking admission. It seeks to prohibit the acceptance of admission fee and other charges without receipt, including the charging of capitation fee; ban the granting of admission without conducting specified tests; and make it mandatory for institutions to provide complete information in its prospectus. The Bill prohibits the refusal to return or withhold, degrees, diplomas or refund fees, and charges a hefty penalty for misleading and false advertisements, while making the demanding of capitation fee a cognizable offence.
The Bill describes “advertisement” as any document described or issued as advertisement through any form of the media. It includes any notice, circular or other documents inviting persons domiciled in India for admission to technical educational institutions, medical educational institutions and education in universities.
Section 8 of the Bill says that no institution shall issue or publish any advertisement which induces students to take admission in the institution, falsely claiming to be recognised by the appropriate statutory authority, or any information, through advertisement or otherwise, in respect of its infrastructure or academic facilities or faculty or standard of instruction or academic/research performance, which the institution — or person authorised to issue such advertisement on behalf of the institution — knows to be false, or not based on facts, or misleading.
Most of the students are lured into taking admission into these sham or ‘fly-by-night' educational institutions through glossy advertisements published in newspapers and posted online. Several institutions in India claim to have tie-ups with institutions abroad. When the law comes into effect, not just the Indian partners, but any person responsible for the advertisements would be proceeded against.
According to Clause 12 of the Bill, any institution that publishes an advertisement which is false or misleading, would be liable to a penalty which may extend up to Rs.50 lakh and legal action as per the law of the land. Where an advertisement which provides untrue statements, or falsely describes facts, or is misleading, is issued, every person who authorised the issue of such advertisement shall be liable for prosecution.
The Human Resource Development Ministry has asked the public sector enterprise, the Educational Consultants India Ltd, to give a project report on the maintenance and updating of a web page that could be dedicated to students abroad. EdCIL offers consultancy and technical services in different areas of education not only within the country but also on a global basis.