National Knowledge Commission
Encyclopedia
On 13 June 2005 , the Prime Minister of India
, Dr. Manmohan Singh
, constituted the National Knowledge Commission, as a think-tank charged with considering possible policy that might sharpen India's comparative advantage in the knowledge-intensive service sectors.
In particular, the Commission was to advise the Prime Minister's Office on policy related to education, research institutes and reforms needed to make India competitive in the knowledge economy
.
The Commission was to recommend reform of the education sector, research labs, and intellectual property legislation; as well as consider whether the Government could itself upgrade its use of the latest techniques to make its workings more transparent.
The NKC website was launched in February 2006.
The Terms of Reference of the NKC are:
The organisational structure of the NKC is flat. The Secretariat is headed by an Executive Director and consists of around 8-9 research associates. It also has four advisors who advises the commission on different issues. The Secretariat of the Commission is located in Chanakyapuri
, New Delhi.
In December 2006, the Commission brought out a 'Report to the Nation 2006'. It includes the following recommendations submitted to the Prime Minister:
Many of the recommendations of the NKC are already in the implementation stage by different ministries of the Government. This includes areas such as Libraries, e-governance and translation.
Some of the major areas under work are higher education, vocational education, entrepreneurship, school education etc.
The NKC consults a wide range of stake-holders and experts on each area before submitting the recommendations to the Prime Minister. Each area has a working group which is headed by a prominent person in that field. The Working Group members meet several times to submit a report to the NKC. The NKC members then hold discussions on the report before submitting it to the Prime Minister. After submitting the recommendations, an extensive coordination also takes place with the Planning Commission of India
and relevant ministries of the Government.
As many of the components of the education sector remains state subjects in India, NKC representatives also visit various state governments and conduct deliberations with secretaries of education departments for reforming of the education sector at the state level.
The Commission was mandated to last till October 2008. But now, looking at the good work the Commission has done, it has been extended until March 2009.
In May 2006 the Commission spoke out against the Human Resource Development Ministry's plans to increase quotas for backward castes in institutions such as the IITs. Following Arjun Singh
's subsequent remarks on their credentials, two of the members, Andre Béteille
and Dr Pratap Bhanu Mehta
, sent letters of resignation to the Prime Minister.
A difference of opinion also took place between Dr. P.M.Bhargava and rest of the commission members in early 2007, which resulted in reconstitution of the commission.
Majority of Vice-Chancellors had rejected the policy direction given in NKC report to nation 2006 on the Higher Education during the discussion on the NKC report in the 82nd Annual meeting of the Association of Indian Universities. However, some of the former and present vice-chancellors of various leading universities accept major directions like structural reform, augmentation of university number, freeing appointment of Vice-Chancellors from direct or indirect intervention on the part of government, etc.. It is a major setback to the NKC. Consequently the commission has released “FAQs on NKC recommendations on Higher Education”
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
, Dr. Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
, constituted the National Knowledge Commission, as a think-tank charged with considering possible policy that might sharpen India's comparative advantage in the knowledge-intensive service sectors.
In particular, the Commission was to advise the Prime Minister's Office on policy related to education, research institutes and reforms needed to make India competitive in the knowledge economy
Knowledge economy
The knowledge economy is a term that refers either to an economy of knowledge focused on the production and management of knowledge in the frame of economic constraints, or to a knowledge-based economy. In the second meaning, more frequently used, it refers to the use of knowledge technologies to...
.
The Commission was to recommend reform of the education sector, research labs, and intellectual property legislation; as well as consider whether the Government could itself upgrade its use of the latest techniques to make its workings more transparent.
The NKC website was launched in February 2006.
Working of the National Knowledge Commission
The National Knowledge Commission (NKC) consists of the following eight members.- Sam PitrodaSam PitrodaSatyanarayan Gangaram Pitroda popularly known as Sam Pitroda is an inventor, entrepreneur and policymaker. Currently Advisor to the Prime Minister of India on Public Information Infrastructure & Innovations, he is also widely considered to have been responsible for India’s communications revolution...
, Chairman - Dr. Ashok Ganguly, Corporate leader
- Nandan NilekaniNandan NilekaniNandan Nilekani born is an Indian entrepreneur. He currently serves as the Chairman of the new Unique Identification Authority of India , after a successful career at Infosys Technologies Ltd...
, Chairman of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)Unique Identification Authority of IndiaThe Unique Identification Authority of India , is an agency of the Government of India responsible for implementing the AADHAAR scheme, a unique identification project. It was established in February 2009, and will own and operate the Unique Identification Number database... - Dr. Deepak NayyarDeepak NayyarDr.Deepak Nayyar is Professor of Economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He has taught at the University of Oxford, the University of Sussex, the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta , and the New School for Social Research, New York. He was Vice Chancellor of the University of...
, former Vice-chancellor, University of DelhiUniversity of DelhiThe University of Delhi is a central university situated in Delhi, India and is funded by Government of India. Established in 1922, it offers courses at the undergraduate and post-graduate level. Vice-President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari is the Chancellor of the university... - Dr. Jayati GhoshJayati GhoshJayati Ghosh was educated at Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University , and the University of Cambridge. Her 1984 doctoral thesis at Cambridge University was titled "Non capitalist land rent: theories and the case of North India" under the supervision of Mr T Byres.She is now Professor of...
, economist at Jawaharlal Nehru UniversityJawaharlal Nehru UniversityJawaharlal Nehru University, also known as JNU, is located in New Delhi, the capital of India. It is mainly a research oriented postgraduate University with approximately 5,500 students and a faculty strength of around 550.-History:... - Dr. Sujatha RamdoraiSujatha Ramdorai-Education:She completed her B.Sc in 1982 at St. Joseph's college, Bangalore and then got her M.Sc. through correspondence from Annamalai University in 1985. After that she went for PhD at TIFR and was awarded her PhD under supervision of Raman Parimala in 1992...
, TIFR - Dr. P Balaram, Indian Institute of ScienceIndian Institute of ScienceIndian Institute of Science is a research institution of higher learning located in Bangalore, India. It was established in 1909.-History:After a chance meeting between Jamsetji N...
, Banglore - Prof. Amitabh Mattoo, Former Vice Chancellor, Jammu University
The Terms of Reference of the NKC are:
- “Build excellence in the educational system to meet the knowledge challenges of the 21st century and increase India’s competitive advantage in fields of knowledge.
- Promote creation of knowledge in Science and technology laboratories.
- Improve the management of institutions engaged in Intellectual Property Rights.
- Promote knowledge applications in Agriculture and Industry.
- Promote the use of knowledge capabilities in making government an effective, transparent and accountable service provider to the citizen and promote widespread sharing of knowledge to maximize public benefit.”
The organisational structure of the NKC is flat. The Secretariat is headed by an Executive Director and consists of around 8-9 research associates. It also has four advisors who advises the commission on different issues. The Secretariat of the Commission is located in Chanakyapuri
Chanakyapuri
Chanakyapuri ,is an affluent neighborhood and Diplomatic Enclave in New Delhi, established in 1950s, and located about 14 km. from Delhi Airport. Chanakyapuri, literally meaning "City of Chanakya", is named for Chanakya, a third century BC Maurya advisor and prime minister.Chanakyapuri plays...
, New Delhi.
In December 2006, the Commission brought out a 'Report to the Nation 2006'. It includes the following recommendations submitted to the Prime Minister:
- Libraries
- Knowledge
- E-governanceE-GovernanceSeveral dimension and related factors influence the definition of eGovernance. The word “electronic” in the term e-Governance implies technology driven governance...
- TranslationTranslationTranslation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
- Languages
- National Portals
Many of the recommendations of the NKC are already in the implementation stage by different ministries of the Government. This includes areas such as Libraries, e-governance and translation.
Some of the major areas under work are higher education, vocational education, entrepreneurship, school education etc.
The NKC consults a wide range of stake-holders and experts on each area before submitting the recommendations to the Prime Minister. Each area has a working group which is headed by a prominent person in that field. The Working Group members meet several times to submit a report to the NKC. The NKC members then hold discussions on the report before submitting it to the Prime Minister. After submitting the recommendations, an extensive coordination also takes place with the Planning Commission of India
Planning commission of India
The Planning Commission is an institution in the Government of India, which formulates India's Five-Year Plans, among other functions.-History:...
and relevant ministries of the Government.
As many of the components of the education sector remains state subjects in India, NKC representatives also visit various state governments and conduct deliberations with secretaries of education departments for reforming of the education sector at the state level.
The Commission was mandated to last till October 2008. But now, looking at the good work the Commission has done, it has been extended until March 2009.
Controversies
Since its inception, the commission has been surrounded by different controversies.In May 2006 the Commission spoke out against the Human Resource Development Ministry's plans to increase quotas for backward castes in institutions such as the IITs. Following Arjun Singh
Arjun Singh
Arjun Singh was an Indian politician from the Indian National Congress party. He was the Union Minister of Human Resource Development in the Manmohan Singh cabinet from 2004 to 2009....
's subsequent remarks on their credentials, two of the members, Andre Béteille
Andre Béteille
Andre Béteille is one of India's leading sociologists and writers. He is particularly well known for his studies of the caste system in South India...
and Dr Pratap Bhanu Mehta
Pratap Bhanu Mehta
Pratap Bhanu Mehta is an Indian academic. He is currently the president of the Centre for Policy Research, a New Delhi-based think tank. The Centre for Policy Research is one of India’s most distinguished think tanks. He is also a been appointed to NYU Law School’s Global Faculty...
, sent letters of resignation to the Prime Minister.
A difference of opinion also took place between Dr. P.M.Bhargava and rest of the commission members in early 2007, which resulted in reconstitution of the commission.
Majority of Vice-Chancellors had rejected the policy direction given in NKC report to nation 2006 on the Higher Education during the discussion on the NKC report in the 82nd Annual meeting of the Association of Indian Universities. However, some of the former and present vice-chancellors of various leading universities accept major directions like structural reform, augmentation of university number, freeing appointment of Vice-Chancellors from direct or indirect intervention on the part of government, etc.. It is a major setback to the NKC. Consequently the commission has released “FAQs on NKC recommendations on Higher Education”