Panel sieve for varsity bill

A bill, seeking to allow a private party to set up a private financial management university in Manipur, was referred to a select committee of the Assembly today after members cutting across party line expressed doubts about the private party’s interest.

Education minister D.D. Thaisii moved the bill today, the concluding day of the monsoon session of the Assembly.

The bill sought to allow the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India University, based in Hyderabad, to set up a private university for financial and business management courses in Manipur with all funds to be provided by the university itself.

Speaker I. Hemochandra Singh constituted a six-member committee of the House, headed by the education minister, to examine the bill. Chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh was not present when the House took up the matter.

Both the Opposition and some ruling members stood firm that the bill should be properly examined before it was passed, though education minister Thaisii and law minister Th. Devendra Singh insisted that it should be passed today itself.

However, after the objections, including from the ruling members, the House agreed that a select committee should be constituted, which should give its report to the Speaker. It was also agreed that the bill should be discussed again in the next Assembly session.

Moving the bill, the education minister said the Hyderabad-based university had sent a proposal to the Manipur government for setting up of one such university in the state two years back.

“There will not be any financial burden on the state government for running the university, which will provide courses like banking, public financing, financial management, project management, business management and research facilities,” Thaisii said.

He said the youths of the state could benefit from such a university, in which the state government would only have to provide around 20 to 30 acres land.

The education minister said one government representative and two imminent educationists from Manipur would be in the board of governor’s and the state government would be the visitor. The state had nothing to lose in setting up of this university, he said.

Opposition member Ng. Bijoy Singh, who is a former vice-chancellor of Manipur University and RIMS director, welcomed the bill saying the university would be a job-oriented one providing a lot of career options. However, he said the bill should be thoroughly discussed and the state’s burden should be deliberated upon.

Supporting Bijoy Singh’s view, a former chief minister and leader of the Opposition, Radhabinod Koijam, said a select committee should examine the interest of the private party.

Ruling member Nandakishore Singh also supported the idea of referring the bill to a select committee instead of rushing things.