Universities Research and Innovation Bill, 2012

PARLIAMENTARY STANDING COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
TWO HUNDRED FORTY EIGHTH REPORT ON THE UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION BILL, 2012 can be accessed here.

The Bill provides for setting up of Universities for Research and Innovation both in the private sector and the public sector. Presently, there is no central law which provides for this framework, hence the need for a central legislation.These universities would concentrate less on teaching and more on research and innovation. These universities would also be non-affiliating universities and enrolments would mostly be at the postgraduate (PG) and post-PG level.

While the views of the academia supported making existing institutions stronger in terms of autonomy and innovation, the industry representatives were of the view that this legislation created an excellent facilitating framework for research and innovation in areas which were generally neglected by the regular programmes of regular universities.

Conclusion by the committe:

It is an undisputed fact that our country is yet to make its presence felt in the world so far as pioneering research work is concerned. The Committee is also aware that quite a few of our universities and research organizations have been doing commendable work inspite of persistent constraints being faced by them. Lack of funds resulting in the absence of minimum infrastructure, severe shortage of qualified and experienced faculty and also no autonomy even in issues strictly falling under their domain can be cited as the main impediments in their functioning. In such a scenario, the objective behind the proposed legislation is laudable and needs to be supported by all concerned. The Committee also welcomes the initiative of the Government for proposing the new category of specialized universities. However, the Committee, after making an in-depth analysis of the Bill and its likely impact has drawn the attention of Government to the shortcomings, lack of required provisions and contradictions
observed in the Bill in the Report. The Committee would appreciate that necessary
modifications are brought out in the Bill as recommended by it.

Position of TTO in The Universities for Research and Innovation Bill 2012

US is presently debating on doing away with a mandatory TTO in universities. Prior to Bayh-Dole, the invention rights vested with the federal government. The Bayh-Dole Act, allowed universities and small companies to own and manage inventions they make with federal funds. University Technology Transfer Offices played a pivotal role in commercializing the patents. Now, Kauffman Foundation proposed Start-up Act says TTO had become bottleneck and recommends that decisions  to commercialize technologies should be taken by faculty inventors and not university bureaucracies (TTO).

The bill in parliament is silent on structure of this relationship between faculty innovators- TTO-licensees. Is it left to universities to decide as part of autonomy?

Search for new Standards in The Universities for Research and Innovation Bill 2012

What is needed to be called University for Research and Innovation?

For the purposes of determination of standards in higher education, every University for Research and Innovation shall determine and declare, on its website, the standards of such education sought to be provided in such University in its teaching, learning and research:

Provided that the standards so determined and declared by such University shall be higher than the minimum standards in the relevant field of knowledge as specified by or under any other law:

Provided further that where no standards have been determined by or under any law in the relevant field of knowledge, the standards so determined and declared by the University shall aim to maximize relative global scales in the relevant field of knowledge:

Provided also that where a dispute arises between such University and a regulatory authority constituted by any law to determine and coordinate standards of higher education in any discipline or field of knowledge, such dispute shall be referred to a committee of three persons of international eminence and standing of whom—

(i) one person shall be nominated by the regulatory body impugning the standards;

(ii) one person shall be nominated by such University for Research and Innovation, which has determined the standards so impugned;

(iii) one person shall be nominated by a University for Research and Innovation, chosen in such manner as may be prescribed, other than such University which has determined the standards so impugned:

Is this the best way to set standards for Innovation Universities ???