PANAJI
Taking note of serious concerns raised by Opposition members, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday agreed to their demand to refer the Goa Public Universities Bill, 2025 to a select committee.
Accordingly, the bill introduced by Sawant last Friday to enable establishing public universities in Goa ostensibly to implement the goals of the National Education Policy will be brought back to the House after it is deliberated thoroughly and suitable changes incorporated by a select committee headed by WRD Minister Subhash Shirodkar.
Other members of the select committee constituted by the House under Shirodkar's chairmanship include: Digambar Kamat, Ganesh Gaonkar, Nilesh Cabral, Deviya Rane, Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco and Dr Chandrakant Shetye from the ruling side and Vijai Sardesai, Carlos Alvares-Ferreira, Cruz Silva and Viresh Borkar from the Opposition side.
Earlier this week, the consideration and passage of the Bill was postponed to Friday after the Opposition raised objections and questioned the government's hurry in passing the bill while expressing the fear that Goa University would be jeopardised if more public universities are set up.
On Friday, Sawant initially sought to allay the Opposition's fears saying no institution will be forced to join any cluster of colleges which will group together to form a university as envisaged in the NEP.
His assurances failed to convince the Opposition members who insisted that more universities in a small State like Goa would create confusion and lead to institutional saturation in higher education.
Opposition members also raised concern that the law would enhance government executive control of higher education and diminish the concept of autonomy, both academic and administrative in higher education.
Eventually, Sawant conceded to the demand of the Opposition to refer the bill to the select committee and proposed the name of Shirodkar, who has been education minister in the past and runs higher education institutions to head the committee.
