Pitroda shut out my views, says NKC no. 2

After the controversial exit of two members over the OBC quota, the National Knowledge Commission is back in the news, this time for serious differences that have cropped up between the panel’s chairman Sam Pitroda and vice-chairman and biotechnology expert Dr PM Bhargava.

After the controversial exit of two members over the OBC quota, the National Knowledge Commission is back in the news, this time for serious differences that have cropped up between the panel’s chairman Sam Pitroda and vice-chairman and biotechnology expert Dr PM Bhargava.

The rift has already reached Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, with Bhargava complaining that he was not consulted on several crucial white papers that have been submitted. The panel was set up in June 2005 with a mandate to sharpen India’s knowledge edge and promote excellence in the education system.

“In fact, I learnt about the document on higher education being submitted to the Prime Minister from newspaper reports. I was not consulted,” Bhargava said on the sidelines of the 94th Indian Science Congress. “The report was not vetted by me. I had met the Prime Minister in the third week of December and told him about it. His reaction was one of concern,” he said, adding: “I have great respect for Sam. He is very capable. But he is the chairman and cannot escape responsibility.’’

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Bhargava said it was only fair that the dissenting views of the Commission members be recorded and sent along with the report. “But this was not done. And the report has gone only with his (Sam’s) signature. Later, when I got hold of a copy of the report, I disagreed with several points,” he said. All that I am saying is that I don’t agree with the report (on higher education sent to the Prime Minister).”

The vice-chairman said his recommendations on universities introducing undergraduate classes and abolition of the concept of affiliated colleges had not been included either. “The Prime Minister is looking for a revolutionary recommendation. That is our job,’’ said Bhargava, who founded the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB). “So far, I have seen only two reports, those prepared in January 2006 — one on e-governance, prepared by Sam and Nandan Nilekani, and another on translations.’’

Bhargava said at least four more white papers on language, vocational education, libraries and computerisation of knowledge institutions had been submitted to the Prime Minister, none of which were shown to him. “All these were sent without my final approval,” he said. “You don’t make a recommendation unless everyone has expressed his/her view on the subject. People must learn to respect dissent.”

Bhargava said the issue needed to be sorted out by sitting together but said the commission, in any case, met just once in four months.