02.12.2014 - 1201 hours

PAPERS LAID ON THE TABLE

HON. SPEAKER: Now Papers to be laid.

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SCHOOL OF PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE BILL

THE MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI): I beg to move for leave to introduce a Bill to establish and declare Schools of Planning and Architecture as Institutions of national importance in order to promote education and research in architectural studies including planning of human settlements.

HON. SPEAKER: The question is:

“That leave be granted to introduce a Bill to establish and declare Schools of Planning and Architecture as Institutions of national importance in order to promote education and research in architectural studies including planning of human settlements.”

The motion was adopted.

SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI: I introduce the Bill.

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03.12.2014
RE: BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Now, the House shall take up Item No.15—The School of Planning and Architecture Bill, 2014, for consideration and passing.

Hon. Members, before we take up the consideration of the School of Planning and Architecture Bill, 2014, we have to allot time for discussion. If the House agrees, we may allot two hours.

SHRI K.C. VENUGOPAL (ALAPPUZHA): Sir, yesterday also we had discussed the same issue. I have the Business Advisory Committee Report with me. Last Thursday we had met in the Business Advisory Committee meeting. We had already agreed to take up four items, one is Labour Law; second is Merchant Shipping (Amendment) Bill; third is Merchant Shipping (Amendment) Second Bill and fourth is discussion on the Supplementary Demands for Grants. This Bill has not been listed in the Business Advisory Committee meeting. If there is any urgency, the Government has the freedom and the hon. Speaker has also the freedom to include any business. Has this Bill got any urgency? Every day they are pushing new Bills. The Members are very much interested to participate in every Bill. Without prior notice, how can they participate in the discussion and passing of this Bill? This is the type of attitude. Yesterday, we had discussed the same thing. Today also the Government is pushing the Bill without any prior notice. This is going on. Sir, I need a ruling from you.

THE MINISTER OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT, MINISTER OF HOUSING AND URBAN POVERTY ALLEVIATION AND MINISTER OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI M. VENKAIAH NAIDU): There is no need for having a ruling on such matters. It is the question of convenience of the House, Government and the Members. Please try to understand that the business is arranged in such a manner that we have something in Lok Sabha and something in Rajya Sabha. Suppose Rajya Sabha does not function or does not transact business and we do not get business, then what will happen? I do not want to blame anybody. Who is responsible is a different matter. First, Parliament is collective of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Secondly, the House is supreme. The House allots the time. This Bill is listed in the regular business. It is not supplementary. It is in the regular business. So, please try to understand and take up the discussion.

SHRI K.C. VENUGOPAL (ALAPPUZHA): What is the purpose of BAC?

THE MINISTER OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT, MINISTER OF HOUSING AND URBAN POVERTY ALLEVIATION AND MINISTER OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI M. VENKAIAH NAIDU): The BAC has got its own importance. I am not denying it. But sometimes it happens in the House. We will take to the BAC other issues which are there.

SHRI K.C. VENUGOPAL (ALAPPUZHA): You have already listed Discussion under rule 193.

SHRI MULLAPPALLY RAMCHANDRAN (VADAKARA): Yesterday also it happened. It cannot be made as a practice.

THE MINISTER OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT, MINISTER OF HOUSING AND URBAN POVERTY ALLEVIATION AND MINISTER OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI M. VENKAIAH NAIDU): There is no violation of anything.

SHRI K.C. VENUGOPAL (ALAPPUZHA): It is not the question of violation.… (Interruptions)

PROF. SAUGATA ROY (DUM DUM): The Bill is not a controversial Bill. So, we have no objection in that way. But please understand that unless the Members know beforehand what is being debated, how can they prepare? This was listed in the business. The List of Business came to our house this morning. So, when will the Members have the chance to prepare?

Secondly, as far as amendment is concerned, normally amendments are to be given one day ahead of listing of the Bill. Now, if you place the Bill today, how will they prepare and give amendment? Still two amendments have been given by Shri Tathagata Satpathy. He must have given them today. So, please advise the Government so that there is enough time to prepare and give amendments.

THE MINISTER OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT, MINISTER OF HOUSING AND URBAN POVERTY ALLEVIATION AND MINISTER OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI M. VENKAIAH NAIDU): Saugata Roy Ji, to my knowledge, this Bill was introduced yesterday and it has been listed in the List of Business of today. It is not supplementary business. That is why, he has moved amendments also. Let us discuss it.

If the House normally functions, I have no problem at all. … (Interruptions)

You participate in it as much as you can.… (Interruptions)

PROF. SAUGATA ROY (DUM DUM): They must have a plan that this is the routine for this week. Then we can prepare ahead.… (Interruptions)

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Your point is well taken.

SHRI MALLIKARJUN KHARGE (GULBARGA): Then, why is Business Advisory Committee there? … (Interruptions) Whenever we raise an issue here, you say that no notice is given; no information is given. I respect the Chair and also Shri Venkaiah Naidujis’s Government. But, when you say something, you should also follow it. You should not say one thing and do the other. That is not fair.… (Interruptions)

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You are a very senior Member.

SHRI MALLIKARJUN KHARGE (GULBARGA): I never questioned it… (Interruptions) We respect the Chair. I said that such things are always taken in the Business Advisory Committee meetings. You always insist that you are for Calling Attention, Half an Hour Discussion and all other things. But, many things are pending. For other things you ask the rules and question the timing. You take up the discussion, which is already continued under Rule 193 about flood and natural calamities.… (Interruptions)

1513 hours

SCHOOL OF PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE BILL, 2014

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I hope that whatever views the hon. Members have expressed, the Government will take note of it. Now, we shall take up item no.15.

THE MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI): I beg to move:

“That the Bill to establish and declare Schools of Planning and Architecture as Institutions of national importance in order to promote education and research in architectural studies including planning of human settlements, be taken into consideration.”

Sir, it has been once famously said that planning is to bring the future into the present so that you can do something about it now. The School of Planning and Architecture Bill, 2014 seeks to address challenges that have been presented by our past, course corrective in the future and edge a vibrant future for our children and especially for our nation.

Sir, the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi was established in the year 1959 and conferred the status of deemed to be a university in 1979. However, in the event of rapid urbanization and looking at the needs of our countrymen, there were two Schools of Planning and Architecture that were set up in Vijayawada and Bhopal in the year 2008. However, students from both these institutions have been unable to get their degrees till now. I urge you to implore the hon. Members of this august House to kindly give their views and suggestions on this Bill so that the long pending demand and very deservedly right of the students in these schools can be in some way preserved, can be upheld and also with the blessings of this House the Schools of Planning and Architecture become institutions of national importance.

HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Motion moved:

“That the Bill to establish and declare Schools of Planning and Architecture as Institutions of national importance in order to promote education and research in architectural studies including planning of human settlements, be taken into consideration.”

1514 hours

SHRI GAURAV GOGOI (KALIABOR): Sir, with your permission, I would like to speak from here.

Sir, the discipline of planning and architecture is a very important discipline given the context of our present country. Our country is rapidly urbanizing. Young people are leaving their villages and migrating to cities in large numbers. When they migrate to cities, one of the common problems they face is of housing. Urban housing, especially for the urban poor will become a major challenge in the future. As hon. Minister rightly said, if we do not plan for the future challenges right now, we will be faced with the ticking time bomb. We will have a overflowing population without access to the basic public services that they need.

In this context, the School of Planning and Architecture plays a very important role. It is one of the few academic institutions teaching students the discipline of urban planning, teaching students the technology tools that come handy when it comes to urban planning like GIS and others. It is very important that as our population is expanding – be it in villages, be it in small towns, be it in cities or mega cities across the country – planning needs to be an important part of our envisioning process.

We need planning for our villages as to where the drains will be, where the sewerage be, where the parks will be located. We need the same kind of planning and foresight for our towns as to where our garbage dumps will be, how we take care of problems of water logging in terms of a heavy downpour or rainfall. We need the same kind of discipline when it comes to problems of mega cities. What is our solution towards public transport? What is our solution towards parking? How do we decongest our roads? In all of these problems of the present and problems of the near future, we need institutions of excellence and the School of Planning and Architecture, as said by the hon. Minister, established in 1959 becoming a deemed university in 1978, plays a very important role.

Sir, this Bill has a very noble intention. As hon. Member, Prof. Saugata Roy, said, it is not a controversial Bill. We do want our institutions to become institutions of excellence. Especially the students, who are in Bhopal and Vijayawada, have graduated and are awaiting their degrees and it is the right of the Government to look after the plight of the students there and confer the degree to those students.

Another important part of this Bill is that it institutes a Council for the School of Planning and Architecture. This Council will comprise of representatives from the Governments, representatives from the academia, representatives of the public administration and it will function under the leadership of the hon. President of India who has been accorded the high position of Visitor.

Of course, there are numerous benefits associated with this Bill. One of the objectives of the Bill is to promote education and research. That is something that all of us agree because when it comes to higher education institutes in India, specifically in the field of research, we are not able to produce research that is of international recognition. Sir, it is very disappointing for a young Member of Parliament like me when I see my peers and young scientists going to universities outside of India. They are getting the necessary support for research and winning awards and fellowships, but the same kind of necessary research support and academic environment is not provided to institutes in India, especially in the field of higher education. That is why, many of our higher education institutes, despite boasting of reputed faculty and despite being proud of an amazing student community, do not produce enough research when then helps propel these universities to higher rankings in the global fora of universities across the world.

Of course, it is a very important initiative to promote research, but the Bill does not specifically address how the research will be promoted. Will specific grants be given to researchers? Will it encourage joint research projects between institutes in India and outside? Will those of our students and professors, who are currently working or teaching in universities outside of India and want to come back as either faculty or guest faculty, be given the necessary research support? That is not mentioned.

If we want, as this Bill says, the School of Planning and Architecture to provide global leadership, then global leadership is not possible without engaging our global India diaspora and wherever the professors of planning and architecture are, we must provide them the necessary incentives to come back and bring their vast experience to India and teach our students as well as encourage our students in the area of research. Too often our students go to the market and buy research projects. It has become a transaction and research is done as very matter of fact without much discipline and without much vigour. So, it is very important that if you want the School of Planning and Architecture to be a global leader in research, then specific research initiatives should have been highlighted in this Bill.

Similarly, Sir, if we do ask for global leadership, it is not possible to be a global leader unless you have a global faculty, unless you have a global student body and unless you have global best practices. Now, how do we encourage those Indian professors who are earning very high salaries, teaching the very same subjects in universities across? How do we encourage and motivate them to come back? They would want to come back, but they would want some necessary support services for their spouses and their children.

What kind of necessary support will we provide to them? What kind of necessary support will we provide to the students who want to study and be part of this global leadership institute?

There are many meritorious students in India. India is the land of Vishwakarma; India is the land of designers; and India is the land of urban planners. Specifically coming from the North East, I know the entire community of young people, who are excellent in design and have a very strong creative bent of mind. It is important in the fellowships and scholarships that these three Schools of Planning & Architecture will provide that they must aim and have certain criteria, which will benefit students who come from poor areas; which will benefit female students; and which will benefit students from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and give opportunities. I am saying this because the eligibility criterion of this University is quite stringent, and the fees are quite high. These are the only three institutes in the country. If somebody has to come from a remote village in Nagaland and study in Bhopal, then he has to incur a lot of fees. So, the scholarship and fellowship programmes ‘must’ have specific criteria, which will enable the students body -- within these three institutes -- to be diverse and to come from diverse backgrounds of gender, race, caste and economic backgrounds.

But at the same time, there are certain limitations or certain questions that this Bill does not address. One of the limitations is that of the problem of fake universities. So many universities are there in India, which are offering fake degrees. They are operating under fake names. If you search School of Planning & Architecture, then thousands of institutes will come up, which have some fraud name at the beginning and then School of Planning & Architecture. How will this Bill really penalise those who are the promoters of these fake universities, and those promoters who give fake degrees? As a result of this, so many students face problems. They spend a lot of money on tuition and hostel, and after the end of 3-4 years they realise that this university is not legitimate and not worthy enough to grant degrees. Thereafter, they have to go to the High Court and challenge the university, and their fees are never recovered. How will this Bill protect those students from all the various fake universities out there in our country and all the fake degrees, which are being provided? I am asking this because this has not been taken care in this Bill.

Secondly, if you look at the composition of the Board, it is comprised of Members of the Government; Members of the Academia; and Members of other Associations. But the Schools of Planning & Architecture is a professional discipline. Many of our students will leave these institutes to go and work in professional design institutes, and some of them will work in professional consulting firms. Is it not necessary that we have somebody from the industry also to be on the Board even if for a short tenure of two years as opposed to five year tenure that you have? They could come there and give the necessary industry experience and also provide the real-world experience that we need in our classrooms.

Thirdly, the Bill provides Rs. 50 crore to the institute in Bhopal; Rs. 30 crore to the institute in Vijayawada; and Rs. 5 crore plan support to the institute in Delhi. These institutes are going to be the pillars of excellence not only for the next 5-10 years, but for the next 50 years. This amount of Rs. 50 crore; Rs. 30 crore; and Rs. 5 crore, at some point, will prove to be insufficient, and that is why I am again asking the Ministry to have a separate Board, which would be the Fund-Raising Board. This will comprise of representatives from the industry whose sole objective is to ensure that this institute becomes a global leader amongst all the Schools of Planning & Architecture, and of course, give the sector the necessary corpus support so that they can have the best of laboratories, systems and faculty. It is important that these Members of the Fund-Raising Advisory Board provide the necessary financial advice to these institutes so that whatever corpus they have, they can provide the necessary investment advice whether to invest them in mutual fund or in any other long-term pension funds.

A lot of universities across the world become independent of Government support through the active fund-raising efforts of the alumni as well as of their Board. This is what helps them get the best of faculty; best of systems; and provide the maximum number of scholarships. So, fund-raising is a very important part.

Lastly, in conclusion, it is very important in our current environment that we must promote a scientific temper in education. Education is the pillar of our society. It is through the road of education that any great society is formed.

When India won its hard fought Independence, our first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru Ji at that point of time envisioned an IIT, at that point of time envisioned the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, and at that point of time envisioned the Indian Institute of Management. Despite facing severe criticism that the country was only having 50 per cent literacy rate, the first Prime Minister of India envisioned a bold institute that would still stand the test of time, and till today our students vie and compete with each other to get into an IIT, to get into an IIM, and to get into an AIIMS. This is the kind of scientific temper that we must push and inculcate in our discourse and in our environment.

We have to be cautious that what we are also gradually seeing is that this scientific temper and scientific environment is gradually being eroded, and science is being mixed with religion and science is being mixed with mythology. We must accord due respect and understand that there is a separation that exists. We must ensure the sovereignty of these institutes and do not dictate what students should eat, whether it is vegetarian food or non-vegetarian food. We should not dictate what students should wear. We should focus on how do our students become the best students, and how do our institutes become best institutes. I do not think by promoting vegetarian food in IITs, we are going to make sure that the IITs become the top-ranked engineering institutes. Therefore, we must be careful, that we must have our Ministers not talk about rakshasas, but talk about technology, talk about satellites, talk about landing on the Moon because that is the vision of the first Prime Minister of India Shri Jawaharlal Nehru Ji. We must salute his vision and that is the vision of education. We hope that this Government would be an ‘education Government’, we hope that this Prime Minister will be an ‘education Prime Minister’ and will teach that climate change is real as opposed to his other speeches where he has discouraged the theory of climate change. This Prime Minister, I hope, will encourage genetic research and not confuse with mythology. We must accord due respect to science, due respect to religion, due respect to mythology and let us not confuse our students. We want our students to be the best in the world. We want our institutes to be the best in the world.

With that I fully support this Bill. I am always happy when Education Minister is here. Personally being from Assam, I feel that we have second a Minister from Assam. She is the daughter-in-law of our district, so we always feel happy of Dhubri. I am sure, Madam, if you are kind enough, you will provide a School of Planning and Architecture in your district in Assam. Thank you.

(ends)

HON. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: As far as food is concerned, it is the choice of the students. The choice of vegetarian or non-vegetarian food should always be left to the students. Regarding the advertisements being given by many bogus institutes, a point which you have raised, we have to take some action.

THE MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI): I will answer that question while replying to the debate. Whatever action has been taken, through you, I will inform the House.

1528 hours

श्री आलोक संजर (भोपाल): उपाध्यक्ष जी, योजना और वास्तुकला विद्यालय विधेयक, २०१४ पर आपने मुझे चर्चा करने का अवसर दिया है, इसके लिए मैं आपको और अपने दल को धन्यवाद ज्ञापित करता हूं। महोदय, देश के माननीय प्रधान मंत्री श्री नरेन्द्र मोदी जी के नेतृत्व वाली सरकार की मंत्री महोदय को भी धन्यवाद देना चाहता हूं, क्योंकि आश्वासनों से ऊपर उठकर, इस सरकार ने जमीनी स्तर पर इसकी नींव को रखने की शुरुआत की है। योजना और वास्तुकला विद्यालय विधेयक, इस दिशा में केन्द्र सरकार का मजबूत एवं सार्थक कदम है। किसी ने ठीक लिखा है कि मेहनतकश इंसानों को ये दुनिया करे सलाम।

आज हम देख रहे हैं कि देश में और प्रदेशों में जहां-जहां भारतीय जनता पार्टी की सरकारे हैं, वहां सिर्फ विकास कार्य हो रहे हैं और योजनाओं को मूर्त रूप दिया जा रहा है। आज मैं अपने को गौरवान्वित महसूस कर रहा हूं कि एक जनसेवक के रूप में ऐसे संसदीय क्षेत्र से आता हूं जिसे झीलों की नगरी भोपाल शहर के नाम से जाना जाता है। मध्य प्रदेश का सौभाग्य है कि जहां तीन योजना और वास्तुकला विद्यालय स्थापित होने जा रहे हैं, उनमें से एक भोपाल राजधानी में स्थापित है। योजना एवं वास्तुकला विद्यालय को राष्ट्रीय महत्व के संस्थान के रूप में घोषित किया जाना प्रस्तावित है, इसका मैं समर्थन भी करता हूं। योजना एवं वास्तुकला विद्यालय को राष्ट्रीय महत्व का संस्थान घोषित करने के पीछे कई महत्वपूर्ण बिंदुओं के ऊपर मैं आपके माध्यम से सदन का ध्यान आकर्षित करना चाहूंगा।

महोदय, सारी दुनिया जानती है कि भारत एक विकासशील देश है और नगरीयकरण एवं औद्योगीकरण करने में हमारे सामने कई चुनौतियां रही हैं। देश के यशस्वी प्रधानमंत्री श्री नरेंद्र मोदी जी ने सरकार में आने के बाद जो देश में उप-नगर विकसित करने की कल्पना और क्रियान्वयन की योजना बनाने के लिए अपनी प्रतिबद्धता देश के सामने रखी है। योजना को सुनियोजित आकार देने के लिए जो राष्ट्र को भविष्य में वास्तुकार एवं योजनाकारों की आवश्यकता होगी, उनकी गुणवत्ता इस विधेयक के माध्यम से राष्ट्रीय महत्व की संस्था घोषित करने से सुनिश्चित की जा सकेगी। हिन्दुस्तान बहुआयामी धार्मिक, सामाजिक, संस्कारों एवं रीति रिवाजों को मानने वाला देश है, इस कारण से यह महत्वपूर्ण हो जाता है कि भारतवर्ष के योजनाकार व वास्तुशिल्पी संसार की उच्चतम तकनीकी से परिपूर्ण होते हुए भी हमारे देश की मान्यताओं को ध्यान में रखते हुए नगरीय, ग्रामीण, आदिवासी, वनांचल, पर्वतीय, नदीय एवं समुद्रीय क्षेत्र के आस-पास के भौगोलिक द्घष्टिकोण से योजनाओं का क्रियान्वयन सम्भव कर सकें।

आज हमारे देश के सामने ऊर्जा एक बड़ी चुनौती है, हमारे देश के भविष्य के द्घष्टिगत हमारे योजनाकार व वास्तुविद इस प्रकार के भवनों का निर्माण करने की दिशा में शोध करेंगे, जिससे ऊर्जा का कम से कम इस्तेमाल हो। मैं सदन का ध्यान आकाषत करना चाहूंगा कि हमारे देश का क्लाइमेट उष्णकटिबंधीय है, इस कारण से सूर्य देवता हमारे देश पर मेहरबान है। अतएव भविष्य में इमारतें इस योजना से बनें कि बिजली का उपयोग दिन के समय में कम से कम हो। यह भी शोध से ही सम्भव है और हम को इस विधेयक के माध्यम से सम्भव प्रतीत होता है। पर्यावरण भी हमारे देश के लिए महत्वपूर्ण और समझने वाली चुनौती है इसलिए मेरा मानना है कि देश के नगरों का विकास पर्यावरण को ध्यान में रखते हुए संपोषणीय विकास की ओर केंद्रित होते हुए किया जाए। इस तरह के विकास में वॉटर हार्वेस्टिंग, वृक्षों का सुनिश्चित एवं पर्याप्त मात्रा में रोपण, रिहायशी इलाकों, कार्यालयों, उद्योगों आदि की लोकेशन का यातायात एवं परिवहन से सटीक लिन्केज प्लान करना आदि किया जा सकेगा।

वर्ष २००७-२००८ में योजना एवं वास्तुकला विद्यालय के बारे में विचार किया गया था, लेकिन सात वर्ष से यह विधेयक जन्म लेने की प्रत्याशा में अटका हुआ था। पिछली यूपीए सरकार कुम्भकरीणीय नींद में सोई हुई थी, लेकिन जनता जानती थी, समझती थी। पिछली यू.पी.ए. की सरकार ने देश को सिर्फ सपने दिखाने का काम किया है। देश अब यथार्थ में जीना चाहता है, इसलिए भोपाल की जनता ने साधारण कार्यकर्ता को ऐतिहासिक जीत दिलवा कर लोकतंत्र के मंदिर में भेजा है। ७८ साल से लटके विधेयक के कारण अनेकों बच्चों का भविष्य बिगड़ा है, लेकिन आज भोपाल के छात्र-छात्राओं की तरफ से माननीय मंत्री महोदया को हार्दिक बधाई देता हूं कि जो किसी सरकार के लिए असम्भव नहीं था, किन्तु आत्मबल नहीं होने के कारण विधेयक लटका हुआ था, उसे आपने सम्भव कर दिखाया है। किसी शायर ने ठीक कहा है कि मोहताज वो नहीं जेवरों का, जिसे खूबी खुदा ने दी। हमारे देश के सामने रोज़गार की बहुत बड़ी चुनौती है, यह हम सब जानते हैं। योजनाकार एवं वास्तुविदों को रोज़गार देने में यह विधेयक एक महत्वपूर्ण अंग होगा। मेरा मानना है कि सरकार को इसकी गुणवत्ता के लिए ज्यादा से ज्यादा अनुदान विद्यालयों को राष्ट्रीय महत्व की संस्था घोषित होने पर दिया जाना चाहिए। योजना एवं वास्तुकला विद्यालय के छात्र-छात्राओं को राष्ट्रीय महत्व की संस्था घोषित करने के बाद भोपाल में अभी डिग्री नहीं मिल रही है, उनको डिग्री मिल सकेगी, जिससे ये विद्यार्थी उस डिग्री के आधार पर काउंसिल ऑफ आर्किटेक्चर में पंजीबद्ध हो सकेंगे और अपनी प्रैक्टिस भी कर सकेंगे। अत: देश के छात्र-छात्राओं के सुनहरे भविष्य को ध्यान में रखते हुए यह विधेयक अत्यन्त महत्वपूर्ण है।

अंत में मेरा आपके माध्यम से सरकार से अनुरोध है कि इस तरफ जरूर विचार करें कि जो राशि अनुदान के रूप में दी जाती है, वह वित्तीय वर्ष के अंत में समायोजित हो जाती है, उसे समायोजित न करके, निरन्तता के आधार पर संस्था को जिस कार्य हेतु दी गयी है, उसे पूर्ण होने तक उपयोग करने की स्वतंत्रता दी जाए।

हमारे राजा भोज ने भोपाल, धार तथा मांडू जैसे शहरों को योजनाबद्ध तरीके से हजारों साल पहले बसाया था। स्थापत्य एवं वास्तुकला पर उनका ज्ञान समृद्ध था, इस विषय पर राजा भोज ने कई ग्रंथ लिखे हैं। इनका उपयोग भी एस.पी.ए. की शिक्षा में शामिल करने का मैं सुझाव देता हूं।

मैं इस महत्वपूर्ण विधेयक की सफलता की कामना व समर्थन करता हूं। मैं भोपाल से आता हूं। वहां गैस की त्रासदी हुई थी। आज भी वह भयावह रात हमारी नींद उड़ा देती है। मैं सभी मृतकों के प्रति अपनी श्रद्धांजलि अर्पित करता हूं। धन्यवाद।

(इति)

1535 hours

SHRI K.N. RAMACHANDRAN (SRIPERUMBUDUR): Hon. Deputy-Speaker, infrastructure development especially in the context of urbanization and modernization needs to have professionally trained planners and architects. They need to be moulded by centres of excellence so that our efforts really can meet our international standards. It is important and has a vital role to play.

On behalf of our Party AIADMK guided by our inspiring and our beloved leader, the architect of Tamil Nadu, Dr. Amma -- who was for making every effort of the Government to give an excellent gift to the people -- let me welcome this Bill heartily and with honesty. The Union Government now seeks to make the three Schools of Planning and Architecture in New Delhi, Bhopal and Vijayawada as institutions of national importance and centres of excellence.

Really, we are sitting is this august House under the roof of the great architectural structure of the country, the Parliament House Building. This temple of democracy was constructed between 12th February, 1921 and 18th January, 1927. Two famous architects Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker from France and England designed and raised this building which has the aesthetic blending of both the Western and the Eastern traditional architecture. Apart from that, close imprint of Indian tradition has been well established. This is important. As displayed in the ancient monuments and memorials, we find the rich use of Indian symbols like “chhajjas” which shade the walls and windows in various forms of marble jaalis. We have also mingled modern scientific facilities like acoustics, simultaneous Interpretation system and computerized automatic voting system. This monumental building can richly contribute to any school of architecture.

Now this building of our Parliament aims at establishing a Council for Schools of Planning and Architecture similar to IITs and NITs to advice the Central Government on policy matters related to architecture and planning. While empowering these institutions to grant degrees, this Bill also provides for establishing Boards of Governors for every school along with academic councils in every school. This Board can issue ordinances and make statutes corresponding to designing of courses and conferment of degrees. This Bill also provides for annual grants by the Centre while authorizing the Ministry concerned to review the performance of the Schools.

It is also spelt out in the Bill that two Members of Parliament representing both the Houses of Parliament would form part of the Council of Architecture for all schools. Among others, like the Chairman, UGC and the Minister and the Secretary of the Union Government, in-charge of the Ministry, I find the inclusion of the Chairman, AICTE as an ex-officio Member.

Sir, this prompts me to point out certain anomalous, conflicting situations arising out of the exercise of powers by the Presidents and Chairmen of various bodies both in establishing and smoothly running such technical and professional institutions. We have the experience of running professional institutions. I and our Hon. Deputy-Speaker have been leading educationists for 35 years. AICTE gives clearance to certain institutions but without obtaining prior approval from such professional bodies, such schools are established. This happens the other way also. In between we also find several other agencies coming into the scenario.

There are State Universities created by the State Legislatures which are authorised to accredited professional institutions. It is mandatory also for States. For instance, Anna University is there as a parent university for a large number of technical institutions in Tamil Nadu. All professional institutions, be it engineering or technical institutions like schools of architecture, have to be affiliated to Anna University which was carved out by the State Government as a technical university.

Approval by one authority is not recognised by the other authority which puts the management of technical institutions into great difficulty making them to run from pillar to post. I am pointing this out without specifying any instance because this happens all over the country. Creating unnecessary hurdles in managing technical institutions will only come in the way of ensuring quality education.

Sir, at this juncture I would like to make a special request through you to the Union Government to set up a gateway of higher education in Tamil Nadu. We request for a Tamil Nadu School of Planning and Architecture as a premier Central institution for the south as the region is known for mixing architecture with the art of sculpting. This is my chanting of this prayer through this House.

Let me conclude. Thank you.

(ends)

1543 hours

PROF. SAUGATA ROY (DUM DUM): Sir, as I have mentioned to you earlier, we object to the way in which Bills are being brought in the House without giving the Members a chance to study them and also to give amendments.

I looked at the Bill this morning very carefully. I found that basically we agree to the principle of the Bill. So, I did not insist on giving amendments because I think the draft of the Bill prepared by the officers of HRD is good and there is nothing very objectionable. Having said that, let me welcome the new idea of having three Schools of Architecture and Planning as deemed institutions of national importance.

This Bill must have been ready for a long time. I envy the HRD Minister because she is the inheritor of the best institutions in the country none of which was set up by her party or her government. Look at the IITs. All five were set up by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The School of Planning and Architecture was also set up by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in 1959. Why was it set up? That was because after Independence we wanted to have a new capital for Punjab. We could not find a good town planner for the job. Pandit Nehru deputed Le Corbusier from France who designed the most beautiful city in the country, Chandigarh.

So it occurred to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru that we need our own School of planning and architecture so that we could design the new cities. Now, during the last Government, they have extended the School of Planning and Architecture to two other cities, Bhopal and Vijayawada. That was also a welcome step. Now, the hon. Minister wants to declare all these institutes as institutes of national importance. We have no objection to that. I would like to mention that the main thing is to maintain the quality of excellence in these institutes because they are the best institutes. IITs, IIMs, National Law School, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad which was earlier declared institute of national importance, the Indian Statistical Institute in Kolkata-all of these are excellent institutes. Our main emphasis should be to preserve the high quality, to preserve the excellence of these institutes.

Now as far as architecture is concerned, India has great tradition for architecture. You see the Moghul architecture, the architecture of Vijayanagara Hampi, or the Chalukya or Chola architecture in Tamil Nadu-all over we have great tradition. There has been mingling during the British time as somebody pointed out that this city of New Delhi was designed by Lutyens who blended Moghul architecture and modern British architecture. So, we have a great architectural tradition. But till now we have not achieved the excellence in architecture that was expected. Let me repeat why an architecture, why the school of planning and architecture was necessary. .

Earlier also and even now, all good engineering colleges have a separate faculty of architecture. Engineering is for 4 years while architecture is for 5 years. Later this degree is called B.Arch. It was changed to be Department of Architecture and Town Planning. So the students are supposed to study both these things. But there is also civil engineering. So, many people are confused what is the need for architecture. A civil engineer will determine the structure-how much strength, how much steel and cement will be needed. The architect will design the façade. An architect is basically a dreamer, an artist. He will give a holistic view to the building. Today when large number of high rise buildings have been designed, the role of architect has become even more important. I would draw the HRD Minister’s attention to two famous novels, written by an American novelist called Ayn Rand- The fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. In The Fountainhead, he describes an architect’s dream of building a huge house and how he fulfils this dream. That is what an architect has to be. He has to be a dreamer.

Architecture also today includes landscaping, interior decoration and basically the façade design-how the building should look ultimately. Big building projects even in Chennai are having promotions and they produce small models and photographs so that they can sell their flats at a high cost. The role of the architect is becoming even more important. Hence, there is need for these institutes to be institutes of national importance and more such institutes in the country. Of course I would ask for one in West Bengal which also has a good tradition of architectural education.

Next thing, I want to mention is that she has devised a three-tier structure for the schools. I don’ know how it will work.

One is, there is a Board of Governors; for every three different schools, one school will have a Board of Governors, which will be headed by a person from outside, appointed by the President of India. They will take general policy decisions, with regard to the institute. Under that, there will be a senate, like we have senates in universities, who run the regular functioning. But what is new? Like in the IITs, they planned a council, which will be covering all the aspects of education in all the streams. It is a good model; if you can have a two-tier structure at the school level and the third tier at the composite level, which includes all the three institutes. So, it should be done.

May I mention this? When I made a mention of excellence, why have our universities and institutes of national importance not achieved the international standards, in spite of their excellence? It is the problem of in-breeding. In most universities or such institutes, people enter at the bottom as a lecturer. The same man will form an association; it would say that nobody should be brought from outside; we should be given promotion to rise up to the top. To maintain excellence in education, there should be horizontal entries. You may get a bright person working outside the country; you bring him as a professor to plan like this. This was the idea of Tagore, when he found Viswabharti. Tagore said, “I want knowledge of the world to come into India”. Tagore got the best – Andrews, Helms and other brilliant people, though they worked at a very low salary. Due to the attraction of Tagore, they came. I would expect that there would be scope for horizontal entries into the schools.

Let me talk a bit about town planning. Town planning is becoming very important today. The Government has declared smart cities. But I doubt if the Urban Development Minister knows the smart cities are. We have intelligent buildings in many cities. If you stand in front of the door, it would open; if you enter the room, the light comes up; if you hold your hand under the tap, there is a sensor and water flows down. Smart cities need not be that. That is simple electronic arrangement. Smart cities have to be a whole one. What do you do about water supply, sewerage, drainage, waste disposal in the cities, etc. The Schools of Planning and Architecture should do research in development of future cities, not only new green field cities, but also cities which will use green buildings where solar power would be used, maximum amount of day light will be used. All these designs must come into our architecture, if you want to have a real smart city.

Unfortunately, in spite of the Finance Minister’s announcement, in six months, the Government has not laid the plan of the smart cities. Where are the 100 smart cities? One smart city has not been designed yet. There is a good scope for building new cities along the DMIC, Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor. There is a separate Corporation; they are saying that along the corridor from Delhi to Mumbai, there will be 20 new cities. What is the plan? Nobody in the country knows how the DMIC or Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor, how the new townships will develop. The research should be done in the Schools of Planning and Architecture, on how new smart cities would be developed.

The Urban Development Ministry has a plan to set up satellite townships, close to our big cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru. We should have satellite towns along the cities. But no clear cut plan has emerged. I know it is not within the ambit of the HRD Minister; she is to only look after the educational institutes.

The Government must come forward with a clear cut plan of what they want and how they want urbanisation to be five years from today. As somebody has said urbanisation is an unstoppable process. More and more people will continuously leave the villages and come into cities. We have to make our cities habitable and that challenge has to be faced by the architect and town planner of today. But unfortunately in our country there are big time architects. You must have heard of Charles Correa, Hafeez Contractor and Balkrishna Doshi. They all design houses for the rich. They are not designing houses or towns for the poor. We need to change our very basic approach towards architecture and town planning. I hope and expect that the new institute will produce people who can make our cities better. The Delhi School has already been established. The new schools are established at Bhopal for which Rs.50 crore have been allotted. I think it is good. Sir, Rs.30 crore have been allotted for Vijayawada. I think it is a good thing.

Lastly, I must compliment my young friend Gaurav Gogoi. He gave an excellent speech. Afterwards I asked him if he is an architect himself. He spoke of the most important point Jawaharlal Nehru spoke about which is that the need is to develop a scientific temper. A scientific temper cannot be levelled up through either astrology or mythology. Science is a system which is certain and systematic. In science we say that unless something can be proved experimentally that is not accepted as truth. Now, the Prime Minister goes on saying that in ancient India Ganesha’s head was attached by plastic surgery. We all worship Ganpati Baba but that does not mean that we all agree that there was plastic surgery done at that time. Similarly, if we take the Ramayana and Mahabharata seriously and if we really believe that those things existed, it would be playing truant with science. Science has developed through a big experiment. Nothing should be done by the Government or the people in leadership which will dilute the scientific temperament of our young people. They must learn not to accept anything that is not proved by experiment. He may have any faith. I have every respect for all faiths but as far as science and technology is concerned, it must develop a scientific temperament.

Sir, the HRD Minister may have her own preference but when the HRD Minister who is to look after all our institutes of higher learning, goes and spends four hours with an astrologer, it sends a wrong message. It is not being personal. It sends a wrong message. May I politely ask her to please avoid this from being public? She may go secretly. Nobody will object. Do not do in such a way that it comes out in Papers and sends a wrong message.

AN HON. MEMBER: Dada does it very secretly.

PROF. SAUGATA ROY (DUM DUM): People do so many things secretly. अगर एच.आर.डी. मनिस्टर ऐसा करेंगी, तो ठीक:इम्प्रैशन नहीं जाएगा। On the one hand we are sending Mangalyaan. We are sending a man to the moon. On the other hand we are going to astrologers, babas and what not. That is creating a wrong impression… (Interruptions)

HON. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Please maintain order in the House. Prof. Saugata Roy, please address the Chair.

PROF. SAUGATA ROY (DUM DUM): Lastly, unnecessarily by going to the Hindu Conference on education she has again created a fear that saffronisation will come. Where is the scope of saffronisation in architecture? You teach them the history of architecture but do not say that Hindu architecture was good and Muslim architecture was bad.

Let her give them genuine history and as far as the Kendriya Vidyalayas are concerned do not remove… (Interruptions)

THE MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI): Sir, I would like to seek a clarification from the senior Member. Has he heard ever a statement coming out of me pertaining to architecture that he refers to in his speech?

PROF. SAUGATA ROY (DUM DUM): No. I am talking of scientific temperament which my young friend Shri Gaurav Gogoi mentioned.

The last point that I would like to make is about this controversy about teaching German was unnecessary. What is the harm if the Kendriya Vidyalayas teach German? … (Interruptions) You say that you want to remove German and teach Sanskrit. If children want to improve, why do you stop that? … (Interruptions) With that, I am saying that there is nothing wrong with the Bill. It is a perfectly drafted Bill. Let the schools of planning and architecture run and let there be more schools of planning and architecture including one in West Bengal.

Thank you.

(ends)

1601 hours

SHRI TATHAGATA SATPATHY (DHENKANAL): Sir, thank you for giving me this opportunity. I was listening to Gaurav babu and now Saugata babu. They have been informative speeches. This is a good Bill. There is nothing to criticise in this Bill. I have found certain faults and glitches in the Bill and I have given two amendments which I think, the hon. Minister would be kind enough to consider. We have come to a stage in our democracy where any amendment given by a Member from the non-Ruling party seems to be an affront, seems to be an inimical move, so to cut it down, to thrash it, to weed it over is our divine duty. So, I wish that this attitude would change and practical suggestions would be taken.

1602 hours

(Shri Hukmdeo Narayan Yadav in the Chair)

Sir, you may remember that in the last Session of the Sixteenth Lok Sabha, the hon. Minister of HRD had brought in a Bill regarding the Centres of Excellence which enveloped some other institutes of higher learning. This could have also been brought in at that time. I am surprised as to why this was not brought in at that time because if this is going to be another centre of excellence, then it could all have been done together. Somehow the Government has chosen to keep it separate. So be it.

I may have to speak a few harsh words. First of all, these schools are not like IIMs, IITs and IIITs. An architect or a planner, to my mind, signifies an artist, signifies someone who is creative. It is not a mere job seeker, unlike IITs and other institutes where the students, soft in the head, are actually aspiring for a job in the US. Their whole aim is campus recruitment where before they gain any experience or before they gain any mastery over their subjects they want to be employed with very high salaries. This school of architecture and planning and this thought itself is something completely different and so it needs to be dealt with separately.

As you know, in India we always pride ourselves with history. It is fine. Prof. Saugata Roy also mentioned some points. I do not wish to rub it in. Our history has primarily been recorded only about the rulers, about the administrators. So, the general social life somehow has been neglected by the Indian history scribes. Therefore, the buildings that we see today, the architecture that we see today, the building in which we are sitting today, our colleague from the AIADMK mentioned, unfortunately, might have used Indian labours to carry the bricks and stones up to a certain level, but the planning and design everything else has not been done by Indians, it has been done by white skinned people, which Tamilians will understand as Vellaikarars.

These are foreigners who have designed these things. Whether we look at the Taj Mahal, the Qutab Minar or anything, we may see that these are associated with the rulers. If you go further back to Hampi or Konark, again it is the rulers or the kings who made these things. I assume that these were probably like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme of those years. Whenever there was a drought or distress amongst the populace, the kings started projects such as Hampi or Konark or canals and they were used to give grains to people to survive.

So, these are not, really speaking, signifying Indian architecture. If you go to the villages of India or any rural area from Bihar to Odisha, you may find it. I have travelled in Tamil Nadu. I have travelled in Karnataka also. I have unfortunately or fortunately not had the good fortune of travelling in the model State of Gujarat but otherwise in the North-East also, you will find that villages are simple in nature.

Adivasi villages have a very simple design and simple kind of cleanliness and there would be an art there. But if you see the so-called other villages of upper caste, if you believe in casteism which I know that you do not, you will realise there that villages are very badly planned. Whenever there is a conflagration, a whole village gets razed to the ground in a matter of an hour or two. Before the fire brigade lands there, the whole village is burnt. That means there has been an innate deficiency in our planning and architecture. This is not something that has happened today. It has been there from our history.

Therefore, the cities that you see today are also ill-planned and not able to cope with the huge population growth that this sub-continent is facing.

Let us go back to Mohanjadaro. I have had the good fortune of visiting Mohanjadaro. It had a very sparse population to handle. It had small drains. They used to put limestones on top of the drains as a cover so that any water running through it would get sanitised because of the limestone. But on the other hand, they had a great bath which you would have read about in the history books. Everybody used to come and bathe in the great bath. Water used to be pumped from the Sindh River that flowed nearby. That sort of a living is not possible in a densely populated country like India today. So, what do we see today? We see monstrous cities coming up like Gurgaon, for example.

Gurgaon is a great example. It has no electricity. There are outages everyday. It has no water worth mentioning the name. There is no sewage or drainage system or treatment system. Apart from that, because of no green coverage, it is a completely dusty city and this is right next to the capital of India.

What does it signify? It signifies that when you give things to private players, especially in India, it does not signify that private players are going to create an island of heaven. They will most likely create something so wretched and so miserable that whoever moves in there will suffer for the rest of their existence. Unfortunately, in most of the urban clusters in India, the free land around them, whether you go to Bangalore or any other city for that matter, has been swallowed up and gobbled up by private developers who are hell bent on making their money but all the creations that they have, all the malls and theatres have a life span of barely three to five years. So, we are not really looking into the future of this country.

The former US President, John F. Kennedy, when he was questioned about infusion of huge amount of federal funds into city planning, had said that we will neglect our cities to our peril for in neglecting them, we neglect the nation.

This is probably extremely valid for a nation like the U.S. which is solely dependent on its cities. Their urban centres are very self-contained and they produce enough to hold the nation together. We, fortunately or unfortunately, do not come from that milieu or that kind of a background. Our whole concentration should not be on building 100 smart cities. Nobody is smart. We have heard the description of SMART also, every letter standing for two words. The people of India decide about all these smartness every five years. Once our colleagues sitting to my right thought – Mr. Chairman, Sir, you and I used to sit here – that they were the Gods of the Universe and that what they knew nobody else knew. Today the people of India said in very clear terms, ‘Sorry, we know a little better than you’. So, Mr. Chairman, since you are a great believer of socialist democracy this will be applicable to you, nobody today in this country can actually claim to be smarter than the people. The people are the smartest. Today we are here. Tomorrow we may be there or we may be out of this little place. So, it is not smart cities we should be looking at. We should be looking at what people want. … (Interruptions) I have more time, thank you.

I would request the hon. Minister to tweak certain things so that this does not become a fiefdom of the babus in her Ministry or in the North Block and in the South Block. All these Bills seem very monotonous without any imagination, without any concept of what the future will demand from us. One little example I will give you. They have very categorically mentioned – this is in page 4 – that these will be “institutes of not for profit”. If you look to the future, look to the future of not 500 years, but of 10 years or 100 years, the Government is becoming more and more incapable of infusing funds into so many schemes. So, why not consider making these institutes financially capable of standing up for themselves by generating funds so that they can actually be centres of excellence? If they have good funds on their own, let them have some kind of independence of their own. Let them get teachers, let them get professors and lecturers from abroad. Let these institutes become centres of international excellence.

I will shut down my babbling in a short while. Prof. Saugata Roy mentioned abut Le Corbusier. I just read in the newspapers recently that in Chandigarh some of these babus, not knowing what they were dealing with, have given off very expensive, very well designed, old and awesome furniture, designed by Le Corbusier and by his colleagues, his group of designers and architects, which were lying in very many buildings, have been hived off and given away for a pittance. They did it not knowing their real value. Those are now going abroad and they will be auctioned at extremely high cost. This is how we treat excellence in art and designing. … (Interruptions)

Prof. Saugata Roy mentioned the names of a lot of big planners and architects, who design homes for all the big people. In this country also there have been people like Lori Becker, Udhar Pinto and other small and medium architects who have designed homes which are beautiful, well ventilated, well lit which would require very little fans or electricity, which would be nature friendly and which would be built with local material. But our big builders have ensured that those people are crushed. … (Interruptions)

While supporting this Bill, I would only want that the hon. Minister should consider setting these institutes of excellence comparatively free. Let them earn their worth. Let them be competitive at the global level. Let them have research because we do not allow research. They are not growing. So, let us allow research. Let those who pass out be mandatorily asked to work because they are doing it at the largesse of the Government. Let them be asked, through the ULBs, to work in the country for at least two years.

With these words, I conclude. Thank you very much.

(ends)

1616 hours

SHRI ARVIND SAWANT (MUMBAI SOUTH): Hon Chairperson, Sir, I am really honoured to speak here today for the reason that the HRD Minister is bringing forward such wonderful Bills one after the other. The earlier one was about the IIITs. Today, it is a Bill to establish and declare Schools of Planning and Architecture as Institutions of national importance in order to promote education and research in architectural studies including planning of human settlements.

Sir, I will not deviate myself from the hon. Members who have spoken earlier. Let me heartily congratulate Shri Gaurav for his wonderful speech except one or two sarcastic comments which are political in nature. Otherwise, he has made a wonderful speech. You have given a direction for today’s Bill and the speech in respect of the Bill. I, for one, born and brought up in Mumbai do not agree with the statement made by the hon. Member. People were saying that because of poverty, the MNREGS was there and people were asked to create some structures. I do not agree with the statement made by my colleague.

Look at even the railway stations. Look at the Chatrapathi Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai, You go to the Mumbai Municipal Corporation. Look at some of the forts and palaces. Look at the wonderful temples we are having. Such wonderful structures have been created in this country by architects only! Who is an architect? An architect is one that whenever he creates a thing, he immediately expects the way he wants the country to go. The moment you create a fort, you know that you want to protect the people. You want the people to survive with whatever necessities they want. It is not only to rule the people of the country but also you want to give them assurance that the fort is going to protect every one who is there. Look at the forts which have been created by Chatrapathi Shivaji Maharaj. I would request some of the hon. Members who are here to go to the forts which are there right at the top of the bills.

Today, we are worried about water supply. Today itself, even if you go to the forts, you will find ample water is there at the top of the forts which are 3000- 4000 metres high. Such is the vision of those people! Today, you have brought forward this Bill. I, for one, feel that while doing so, you should take care of one thing. Urbanisation is going on very rapidly. That is my real concern. The laws are having their own limitations. The Corporations are not ruling the villages. Their laws are not applicable to the villages. Small towns are being created everywhere without sewerage facilities, water supply, sanitation, etc. Where to dump the garbage? How to use it for creating energy? Nothing is there. All small towns are coming up. He has given the names of the architects. These are the big architects in Mumbai. They never created small homes. They once tried the SIDCO project but failed miserably because they never had the application of mind for the poor people, what is the need of the common man and the need of the poor people.

Of late, we have faced a very devastating catastrophe at Pune when the whole Malin village got devastated in one rain. The next day, you did not see a village at all there. Not a single house was there. So, planning needs to be done there. I, for one, feel that when you want to create an institution of national importance, why do you come up with only three?

I would like to inform the hon. Minister of Human Resource Development that the JJ School of Art in Mumbai is one of the pioneers of architecture in this country. The building of that school itself is again a monument like structure. A number of architects have been produced by that institute. It is one of the best institutes for architecture and art in India. I think this Bill is ignoring that institution. I do not know how that institute can be covered under this Bill. I would like to know from the hon. Minister whether it is possible to cover that institution. I request that it should be covered so that this wonderful institution can be made as an institute of national importance.

Then, what is the intake of the students? Where the students are going to come from? The students are going to come to these institutions only after completing their 12th Standard. Today we have got Common Entrance Test and Joint Entrance Examination for medical and engineering courses. But what is the position about architecture? When we are going to create institutes of national importance, what are the conditions for admission of students? Are we going to conduct Entrance Examination for the students? Are we going to set up more and more institutes of architecture in this country?

As the number of students is increasing, the number of private colleges is also increasing. I think Prof. Saugata Roy has very rightly mentioned about fake institutes. In Pune, Maharashtra, a number of higher educational institutes are there. But there are many fake institutes.

HON. CHAIRPERSON (SHRI HUKMDEO NARAYAN YADAV): The hon. Member’s time is up.

SHRI ARVIND SAWANT (MUMBAI SOUTH): Sir, I will conclude soon. Unlike others, I am not going to deviate from the subject or deviate from the Bill.

So, a number of fake institutes are there in the country. I, therefore, request the hon. Minister to kindly look into this issue. Such institutes are neither affiliated to the State nor to the Centre. But they are run by some private organizations. When the students reach the final year, they come to know that their institute is not recognized by anybody and their career is spoiled.

Then, Clause 1(2) of the Bill states:

“It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint and different dates may be appointed for different provisions of this Act, and any reference to the commencement in any such provision of this Act shall be construed as a reference to the commencement of that provision.”

When an Act is passed, it is passed with all the clauses included in it. I do not understand the logic of appointing different dates for implementation of different provisions of this Bill. I would like to know the reason for this from the hon. Minister.

Sir, again I would like to quote another clause here. Clause 4 of the Bill says:

“On and from the date of commencement of this Act, the Schools specified in column (3) of the Schedule, shall be the body corporates having perpetual succession and a common seal with the power subject to the provisions of this Act, to acquire, hold and dispose of property, both movable and immovable and to contract and shall by their respective names mentioned in column (5) of the Schedule, sue or be sued.”

We are not creating these institutions for selling properties. They are created to impart education to students.

With these words, I wholeheartedly support this Bill and I congratulate the hon. Minister for bringing this Bill. Thank you.

(ends)

1624 hours.

SHRI JAYADEV GALLA (GUNTUR): Mr. Chairman, Sir, I rise to support the School of Planning and Architecture Bill, 2014 moved by the hon. Minister which aims to confer the status of institute of national importance to three Schools of Planning and Architecture out of which one is situated near Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh.

Sir, in every crisis there is also an opportunity. In our new State of Andhra Pradesh, we find that in the midst of all the crises that we are facing, we also have a once in lifetime opportunity to create a new Greenfield Capital City near Vijayawada and Guntur. In fact, it is quite a fortuitous coincidence that the School of Architecture and Planning happens to be in Vijayawada and that we are also having the opportunity to build a brand new Capital City very close to Vijayawada. Every top Architecture and Planning Firm in the world is competing for the honour to work with us.

Sir, along with our Chief Minister Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu garu we have visited Singapore and Japan so far. In Japan, three out of the top ten most livable cities in the world Kyoto, Tokyo, Fukuoka and Singapore are among the most livable cities in the world. We plan to visit a few others in Europe as well to learn from them as to how to make a city livable because unfortunately we do not have such examples here at home yet. The Singapore Government has agreed to partner with the Government of Andhra Pradesh and the aim is to build one of the most livable cities in the world; a people’s capital which takes into account a smart, connected, green, efficient, sustainable, inclusive and above all, happy and within Indian ethos. In the process of doing this, we also need to ensure that the knowledge that is gained and the capabilities that are developed remain in India as we embark on building on 100 more cities across the country.

The School of Planning and Architecture in Vijayawada is in an ideal position to work closely on this project so that India can retain the learning and build on these capabilities. I would like to give two examples as to how it should be done and how it should not be done. We have examples of Dubai and Singapore. Dubai was built by some of the most fascinating architects in the world but none of the capabilities have been retained by Dubai. They still depend on foreign firms and foreign Governments to support those capabilities. Whereas in Singapore, they have developed institutes and they are now supporting countries around the world even such as ours to help us build such type of cities.

I would like to know whether we can create such kind of frameworks so that the School of Architecture and Planning can work with these institutions in building our new Capitals. In this way our capabilities are also retained in our place.

When smart cities are being built lakhs and crores or rupees are required. While doing such work, investing some of that amount in starting a School of Architecture and Planning in each smart city, would ensure that those capabilities are being developed locally and remain there even after the development work is over.

This Bill is as important as the maiden Bill on IIIT moved by the hon. Minister of HRD in the Rajya Sabha the other day. It was very necessary for the students of Kanchipuram who are waiting for their degrees for the last many years. In the same way, passage of this Bill is equally important as the students of School of Planning and Architecture at Bhopal and Vijayawada are eagerly waiting for the passage of this Bill for the last six years. The School at Delhi is in comfortable position as it is given the ‘deemed university’ status unlike the other two Schools. As these Schools have not been conferred ‘deemed university’ status, they are now not able to issue degrees to students since 2008-09. So, to confer degrees to graduates, the Schools will get authorisation only when this Bill becomes an Act. I sincerely thank the hon. Minister on behalf of students from Vijayawada School of Planning and Architecture.

Sir, there is no representation of students in the Governing body under Clause 13 or in the Council under Clause 33. I strongly feel that there has to be a representative from students to ventilate their grievances or ideas or suggestions for improvement of the School. So, I request the hon. Minister to consider including a student representative on the Board of Governors and also in the Council. Further, in the Council, you are proposing to nominate two Members, one each from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. I fail to understand as to why they need to be nominated as the contribution they would make for the betterment of the School, since it is technical in nature, may not even be required. So I suggest for consideration to delete Clause 33(b) of the Bill.

I would be failing in my duty if I failed to point out about reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs in the Schools. Nowhere in the Bill there is a mention about reservation of students belonging to SCs, STs and OBCs. Reservation in these Schools has to be followed like any other premier institutions such as IITs, IIMs etc. So, I would like the hon. Minister to please consider these points as well.

With these worlds, I conclude my observations on the Bill. Thank you very much.

(ends)

1630 hours

DR. BOORA NARSAIAH GOUD (BHONGIR): Hon. Chairperson, Sir, at the outset let me congratulate the HRD Minister for bringing various Bills in this Session. The first one was IIIT Bill. Now, she has brought the School of Planning and Architecture Bill. I would like to appreciate the HRD Minister for having a will to bring this Bill but I would request the Minister to continue the same will to make it really a national centre of excellence. That is what is required. Merely making the Act will not suffice.

As you know, Sir, the mother of all arts is architecture. Without architecture of our own, we have no soul of our civilization. If you remember, today India is recognized because of its architecture, because of its past. When people think of India, they think of Taj Mahal. When they come to Delhi, they would like to see the Parliament building, Qutub Minar and Lal Quila. When they go to Hyderabad, they would like to see Charminar, Golkonda, Thousand Pillars Temple. When they go to Maharashtra, they would like to see Ajanta and Ellora. When they go to Odisha, they would like to see Konark Sun Temple. For remembering our civilization, we have to definitely build architectural monuments. That is how, our civilization would be remembered.

If you look at the various architectural wonders, you would know that our country is a land of Vishwa Karmas. Look at Harappa Mohenjo Daro. Today we remember because they built a fine city with whatever capacity that they had at that time. That is why I would like to say that planning and architecture are the combination of dil and dimaag, which are very much required.

Today, we speak about smart cities. When we speak about smart cities, it is very unfortunate that most of us, even the Members of Parliament, do not have any idea about smart cities. Recently, there was an advertisement or publication asking people to give the meaning of the visualization of smart cities.

We had a very good past and somehow we lost in the middle. This Bill is very much required.

I would like to congratulate the hon. Minister for brining this important Bill. In the last five or six years, students were unable to get degrees. I do not know why the earlier Governments had neglected it. It is a small issue. Even at that time, all Parties would have supported it.

One of my young colleagues mentioned about Jawaharlal Nehru but he forgot to mention about Maulana Abdul Kalam. He was the first Education Minister. He was the person who started IITs, who started higher education and who started the Aligarh Muslim University. Thus, our forefathers had laid a good foundation. We must be very thankful to them for having given a good foundation.

Now, coming to the present Bill, the School of Planning and Architecture Bill, one of my colleagues has talked about architecture and astrology. Now, I would like to mention about vastu. I noticed that when the various Chief Ministers moved to the Secretariat, they changed the entire building. Definitely we have our own culture, ethos and sentiments. We have to incorporate those sentiments, vastu and architecture into the present one. That is not a bad idea. We should not feel bad about that. We will have to carry on with it. That will actually be more useful.

Regarding this Bill per se I would like to say a few words. As one of my colleagues has pointed out, there is no mention about reservation. So, it will not be legally tenable. Any government institution cannot run without the rule of reservation. I do not know why this issue has not been taken into account in this Bill.

Secondly, the mode of admission has also not been mentioned here. The issue – whether it has been a separate examination or a national examination – has also not been mentioned. I would request the Minister concerned to take this aspect into account. Otherwise, this Bill will get entangled in judiciary.

Thirdly, when I look at the logo of the School of Planning and Architecture Bill, I was disappointed.

When you look at the logo of the School of Planning, it looks like a pyramid. The School of Planning and Architecture should reflect our culture, our architecture and ourselves, and not the pyramid. But whether it was an oversight, I do not know. So, I would request the HRD Minister to kindly look into this matter and Indianise the logo.

Sir, regarding the Board of Governors, Parliament’s nomination is there. Appointing the Members of Parliament in the Board of Governors is a good idea. But if the Members of Parliament with technical knowledge in that particular field, are there, it would be an ideal thing. So, in the Clause of Board of Governors, if the discretion of the Speaker or the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is maintained, it would be a good thing.

As you know ‘power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.’ There is a clause regarding the Tribunal. The Tribunal consists of the institutions. It is mentioned that no decision of the Tribunal can be challenged in the court. Sir, it cannot sustain. Even ordinary rulings are challenged in the court. That is why, I would request the hon. Minister to please look into this clause.

Sir, I wish to tell about my profession. We Indians are capable of doing the world class architecture, provided we are given the opportunities, provided we are supported, provided we are taken care by the public institutions. So, we all Indians are capable. I would give one example. Twenty-five years back, when I was an MBBS and PG students, all the big time politicians, if they had a chest problem, for the CABG, they used to rush by a private plane to America and Europe. But today, no Indian politician would think of going outside the country for treatment. They are more than happy to get themselves operated upon in this country itself. In fact, it is a medical tourism, which is occurring. Most of the big people from outside the country, are coming now to India for their treatment and operation. This is the strength of India. The only thing is that we have to pave the way so that the intellectual people can bring in their planning and architecture here. The people, who have built so many monuments in our country, can also build the cities here.

Sir, before I conclude, I would say that we must differentiate between the smart cities and great cities. Smart cities need not be great cities. We have to see how best cities we can build with a simple investment. We have to think in this way. Then only, with the vast population like India, we can sustain.

With these words, I conclude. Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity.

(ends)

1638 hours

SHRI P.K. BIJU (ALATHUR): Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to speak on this important Bill. First of all, I am in agreement with the present Bill. I am supporting this Bill.

Sir, in the Statement of Objects and Reasons, the Bill, inter alia, proposes

to –

  1. declare those three Schools of Planning and Architecture as institutions of national importance;
  2. establish a Council for Schools of Planning and Architecture similar to the Indian Institute of Technology and the National institute of Technology to advise the Central Government on policy matter in the field of architecture and planning; and
  3. empower these institutions to grant degrees to students of these Schools of Planning and Architecture.

Sir, I would like to know from the hon. Minister as to why they have picked up only these institutions. The School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi was established in 1959 as an autonomous society, registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. Similarly, two new Schools of Planning and Architecture – one at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh and the other at Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, were established in 2008 following the same method. They are also registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.

I would like to know from the hon. Minister as to how these institutions are treated as institutions of national importance. What is the methodology of obtaining the staff strength and financial situation in these institutions?

Sir, the Architecture institutions are very much needed in our country. The first Council in our country was established in 1972 by this Parliament because of the Architecture of our new India.

So, I would like to ask, through you, hon. Chairman, as to how we would get support from the Central Government to these institutions. What are the mechanisms to seek and improve the financial situations of such institutions? Financial accounts must be coming under the C&AG for audit. That is not mentioned in the Financial Memorandum.

We have created some institutions of national importance. We have already got more than 40 institutions under this category. We have 20 NITs, 5 IISERs, 16 IITs and one AIIMS which is in Delhi. An institution of national importance is an independent statutory body. So, it can award degrees.

But clause 8 of this Bill provides that:

“(1) Every School shall be open to persons of either sex and of whatever race, creed, caste or class, religion, disability, domicile, ethnicity, social or economic background.
(2) No bequest, donation or transfer of any property…”.

So, as per the Indian Constitution, there is a provision for reservation in such institutions, which is lacking in this present Bill. I would like to ask the Minister to provide for reservation in these institutions. Clause 10 provides that “every school shall be not-for-profit legal entity”. So, how can this institute be kept as a not-for-profit entity? What are the mechanisms with the Government to continue to keep this institute as a non-profit entity? It is because these institutions are registered under the NGO panel. So, how can the Government intervene in the future endeavours of such institutions?

Our country is having a severe shortage of faculty, particularly in higher education. According to the recent analysis done by Technopark, India requires 1.16 million teachers for all the universities in the country. At present, India’s total faculty is 8,10,000. The country has a shortage of 3,50,000 teachers. In 2020, the shortage will rise to 1.38 million in all our major institutions of higher learning and institutions of national importance. In IIT we are having one teacher for 15 students. The ideal ratio is 1:10. But in countries like USA and UK, they are having the ratio of 1:6 or 1:7.

Sir, I am going to conclude. So, at this ratio, we are having this much of shortage in the faculty. What are the mechanisms to fill up those faculty positions in our Central institutions?

Second is regarding infrastructure of the present IITs, IIMs and other learning institutes. I was a Member of the MHRD Committee for the last five years. At that time, we had seen that. In 2008, we started eight IITs in our country but one batch of students has already passed out from these institutes but the infrastructure of those institutes is merely that of a polytechnic or ITI of our country. How can we select a few more institutions in the name of national importance? We must do a through check of the present status of those institutions, not only in the Schools of Architecture but in other higher learning institutions like IITs, IIMs and IISER in our country. Then only we can reach whatever we think for the future architecture of this country and particularly, we can achieve the target in higher education.

Thank you very much, Sir.

(ends)

1645 hours

SHRI VARAPRASAD RAO VELAGAPALLI (TIRUPATI): I thank the Chair for giving me this opportunity. By running such a big Department very efficiently, the present hon. Minister is proving that one does not need big degrees. So, I congratulate her.

In fact, the School of Planning and Architecture Bill, 2014 is the need of the hour. Today, when there is a tremendous pressure on the urban, rural and industrial environment in India, we definitely need proper planning and architecture, particularly when the population is ever increasing and the land remains static. In fact, it becomes more important when in costal areas land is getting reduced. Therefore, the proper planning is imperative for a country like India.

This Bill conferring the status of national importance to the Schools of Planning and Architecture is all the more appreciative to make its centers as centers of excellence on par with IITs, NITs and IIMs.

Eighty per cent of our country’s population consists of the middle class, below middle class and the poor people. We cannot afford very big structures; we cannot afford very big land also. Therefore, a Bill like this becomes more relevant to have a proper planning and architecture, which is highly Indianized and also where the raw material is available within our areas.

A high level research is required so that the limited land that we have could be used to have more population and to make the surroundings of it more beautiful.

I also have a suggestion that just as we take the services of private individuals and institutions at many places, here also we can take the services of leading architects of India so that they could also contribute for the development of the country.

Reservation for weaker sections should be ensured by proper documentation both at the entry and promotional level as is done in other governmental institutions.

I was the Managing Director of the Slum Clearance Board in Tamil Nadu, which is one of the most efficiently running boards in the country. Earlier we had a multi-rooms concept where all people of a family, parents and children, live together. But, we have strongly objected to the United Nations and other people, who were giving that. We told them that to live a decent life with dignity we need to have a separate living room, separate bedroom and independent toilets. I request the Government to make it a part of its strategies while providing housing to the people, irrespective of their class.

It is very essential that research should not stop at the laboratory level only. If it has to be translated into reality, perfect coordination is required between the planning and architecture institutions and the Government Departments of Town Planning and other related departments.

I also suggest a few more points. To make our youth know the value of planning and architecture right from their formative years, this may also be formed a part of the curriculum even from the school days.

To match with the vision and dream of our beloved Prime Minister’s concept of Swatch Bharat, I feel that tree plantation should be ensured in rural and urban areas as well as in industrial sectors.

Similarly, rainwater harvesting is extremely relevant to a country like ours. This should also form part of the planning and architecture of the buildings. In the same way, waste disposal is important, and adequate public conveyance should also be made available even at the village level.

Once again, I thank the Chair for giving me this opportunity. Thank you.

(ends)

1650 hours

SHRI DHARAM VIRA GANDHI (PATIALA): Hon. Chairperson, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak on this Bill.

At the outset, I support this Bill, but I have some comments to make in light of whatever discussion has gone over here and based on my original ideas. I think, the first and foremost or at least one of the important tasks of this institution, which has been given the national status, should be to provide housing for the rural and the urban poor, for those people whose generations have vanished with a dream in their eyes of having their own houses. I think, this should be one of the aims of this institution of architecture.

Secondly, as regards smart cities, I think, our cities may be less smart, but let them be more humane and more nature-friendly. Now-a-days, our cities have become exclusive. There is no place for those who actually run the city. There are hundreds of people who live in tents, build a skyscraper and when it is completed and becomes ready to be occupied, they slip from that place and go to another tent in the nearby place. For all those who really matter in the city and run the city for us – it is not that we run the city – the common people, the labourers, the vendors, the milkwalas and all those people, these cities are becoming exclusive to them and not inclusive. I wish that smart cities are more inclusive. They may be less smart, but more humane and more nature-friendly. This is my contention about the smart cities. I think, this must be kept in mind while planning about the dream of smart cities.

We are building huge institutions like IIMs, IITs, AIIMS and institutions of planning and architecture, but the number of aspirants is going into thousands and thousands. So, there is mushrooming of private institutions all over the country. The phenomena started in early seventies from Maharashtra and Karnataka and now it has spread all over India. There are hundreds of institutions of architecture all over the country which are not only exploiting and looting the students, but are also giving very low quality education. There are such institutions not only in the field of architecture, but in other fields of science as well, maybe engineering, medicine etc. One person has got five institutions of medicine, five institutions of engineering. The same staff is roaming around. If there is an inspection today, teachers are brought in buses or cars from one institution to the other to show them to the inspecting team. Similarly, patients are brought in artificially and shown to the Medical Council of India. They are not only providing substandard education, but are also exploiting lakhs of students by charging very high fees. If the Government cannot fulfil the requirement of the increasing number of students, the young population of India, they should at least ensure that there is a strong regulatory body which can control these institutions run under various trusts. They are not trusts; they are family trusts only. They are making huge profits at the cost of poor students, the ordinary people of India in the name of imparting education.

On scientific temper, I would like to say only one thing. Article 51A of our Constitution says that we must ensure inculcating scientific temper, sense of reasoning and spirit of inquiry among our students and our people. So, this is the fundamental duty of the Government and all the enlightened people in this House to ensure that all those things which mar the scientific temper of people, especially the students, should be discouraged. All those activities which mar the scientific temper of young generation of students are discouraged. This would help them to step into, as the real enlightened citizens, the 21st century and India become a country of 21st century and not the country of 17th or 18th century.

As regards reservation, there is no mention of reservation in this Bill. I want the Government to insert a clause for reservation also. Due to their economic disadvantage and other disadvantages, the SCs, the STs and OBCs are getting debarred from getting quality education.

Right from the outset, there are two systems of schools everywhere. There is always a comparison between those who are studying in Government schools and those who are studying in convent schools. So, reservation is very much the right of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and they must be given this right.

I wish that one per cent share of our country’s GDP that is going to education must go up to 3 per cent or 4 per cent. I am saying this because countries below us or smaller than us have higher contribution of GDP for education than our country with young people who are extremely talented. Thank you.

(ends)

१६५६ बजे

डॉ. रमेश पोखरियाल निशंक (हरिद्वार): माननीय सभापति जी, योजना और वास्तुकला विद्यालय विधेयक, २०१४ को सदन में लाने के लिए मैं माननीय मंत्री जी को बधाई देना चाहता हूं। इस विधेयक के द्वारा योजना और वास्तुकला विद्यालयों को सशक्त, समृद्ध औऱ अन्तर्राष्ट्रीय मानकों को पूरा करने हेतु उत्कृष्ट संस्थान के रूप में स्थापित करने की जिस मंशा से लाया गया है, निश्चित रूप से तेजी से बदलते वैश्विक परिवेश और शिक्षा के क्षेत्र में प्रतिस्पर्धा के इस युग में अन्य देशों से कदम मिलाने वाले इस विधेयक की< आज की परिस्थितियों में नितांत आवश्यकता थी। सरकार इस विधेयक को लाई है, इसके लिए मैं बहुत सारी बधाई सरकार को देना चाहता हूं।

मैं समझता हूं कि यह विधेयक जो योजना और वास्तुकला है, यह भविष्य को सुरक्षित और संरक्षित करने का एक ऐसा महत्वपूर्ण कदम है जो नये भारत के निर्माण में नींव का पत्थर साबित होगा। मैं समझता हूं कि वास्तुकला १९५९ में स्थापित हुई और १९७९ में इसको डीम्ड विश्वविद्यालय का दर्जा मिला। अभी तक यह संस्थान डिग्री नहीं दे रहा है। मेरे लिए यह आश्चर्यजनक बात है। मैं स्मृति जी की बधाई देना चाहता हूं कि इस तरीके स उपेक्षा का दंश झेल रही ये इन तीन महत्वपूर्ण योजनाओं को राष्ट्रीय महत्व की योजना के रूप में स्थापित करके न केवल उनको सशक्त करने की बात कही गई बल्कि काउंसिल बनाने की बात भी की गई, उनको डिग्री देने की बात की गई, और वह काउंसिल भारत सरकार को अपना परामर्श देगा। ऐसे संस्थानों को परामर्श देगा जब सारी दुनिया भारत की ओर देख रही होती है।

मुझे कई बार अफसोस होता है, इस तरह की बातें कुछ सदस्यगण कह रहे थे, भारतीय वास्तुकला की दुनिया में कोई तुलना नहीं है। य़ह अलग बात है कि हम अपने को भूल गये हों और यदि उस भूली हुई चीज को इन्होंने नयी शुरुआत दी तो मैं बधाई देना चाहता हूं कि दिल्ली, भोपाल और विजयवाड़ा तीनों योजनाओं को वास्तुकला के रूप में राष्ट्रीय महत्व की संस्था के रूप में सथापित किया और इन तीनों को एक समृद्धता की दिशा में आगे पहुंचाने का काम जो होगा, वह अपने में अभिनव होग। मेरा यह निवेदन है कि इसमें एक चीज आई है कि इसे नगरीयकरण औद्योगीकरण के नृत्य विस्तार के परिवेश में उत्कृष्ट केन्द्रों के रूप में यह समृद्ध बनाने में समर्थ होगा। इसलिए मैं माननीय मंत्री जी से अनुरोध करना चाहूंगा क्योंकि इस देश के अंदर जिस तरीके से स्मार्ट सिटीज बनेंगी, जिस तरीके से गांव भी अब शहरों में तबदील हो रहे हैं तो इस विभाग का नीचे तक, राज्यों तक, विस्तार कैसे हो सकता है, इसकी भी जरूरत है। आज योजना और वास्तुकला विद्यालयों की पूरे देश को ही जरूरत है। इसका विस्तार किस तरीके से होगा क्योंकि अनियोजित और अनियंत्रित विकास ने तमाम समस्याओं को खड़ा किया है।

अब हम शहरों की बात करें कि कूड़े के ढ़ेर पड़े हुए हैं, सीवर लाइन की समस्या है, जल भराव है, एक के बाद एक समस्याएं हैं और महानगरों की नरक जैसी हालत हो गई है। ऐसे में जबकि देश तेजी से प्रगति की ओर बढ़ रहा हो औऱ गांवों की भी शहरीकरण की स्थिति हो रही हो, रोज एक नय कॉलोनी का निर्माण हो रहा हो, इस विभाग की निश्चित रूप से आश्यकता है। मैं बैठे-बैठे यह सोच रहा था कि यदि यह विभाग सक्रिय औऱ सशक्त होता तो आज हिमालय में आने वाली तमाम जल प्रलयकारी भीषण विभीषिका हमारे सामने नहीं आती।

क्योंकि, नालों पर मकान बन गये, ऐसे स्थानों पर मकान बन गये, जहां कच्ची मिट्टी है। वहां जो बस्तियां नहीं बसनी चाहिए थीं, उन स्थानों पर मकान बन गये। चाहे वह जम्मू-कश्मीर का क्षेत्र हो या यहां का क्षेत्र हो। इसलिए मैं कहना चाहता हूं, क्योंकि हिमालय देश और दुनिया के लिए बहुत महत्वपूर्ण है,। इसलिए उसके लिए वास्तुकला और योजना का काम जब तक यह बिल पास नहीं होता, तब तक इन्हीं संस्थानों के माध्यम से वह संचालित हो सकता है। चाहे वह पार्किंग की समस्या हो या महानगरों में यातायात या जलभराव की समस्या हो, महानगर आज इन तमाम समस्याओं को झेल रहे हैं। इसलिए इस विभाग की बहुत आवश्यकता है।

मैं यह समझता हूं कि आज अनुसंधान केन्द्रों की बहुत जरूरत है। भारतीय अभियांत्रिकी का कोई मुकाबला नहीं है। मैं गौरव भाई को भी कहना चाहता हूं। प्रो.सौगत राय जी यहां नहीं हैं, उन्होंने अभी रवीन्द्र नाथ टैगोर जी का उदाहरण दिया। मैं कहना चाहता हूं कि उन्होंने उल्टा बोला। रवीन्द्र नाथ टैगार जी ने यह नहीं कहा कि दुनिया की जानकारियों को यहां लाइये, यह अलग विषय है। उन्होंने कहा कि हम इतने समृद्ध हैं कि हम सारी जानकारियों को आत्मसात कर सकें। ज्ञान और विज्ञान के क्षेत्र में हिंदुस्तान पूरी दुनिया का विश्व गुरू रहा है। एतद्देश प्रसूतस्य सकाशादग्र जन्मन:, स्वं स्वं चरित्रं शिक्षरेन पृथ्वियां सर्व मानव:। रवीन्द्र नाथ टैगोर जी ने कहा कि ज्ञान और विज्ञान के क्षेत्र में हिंदुस्तान सारे विश्व का मार्गदर्शन कर सकता है, इसलिए सारे विश्व के लिए हिंदुस्तान खड़ा है और उन्होंने कहा था कि यहां का ज्ञान-विज्ञान विश्व में जाना चाहिए।

(इति)

१७०३ बजे

(माननीय उपाध्यक्ष पीठासीन हुए) इसके अलावा नेहरू जी का संदर्भ आया। मैं कहना चाहता हूं कि भारत एक खोज (डिस्कवरी ऑफ इंडिया) में एक नहीं दसियों जगह नेहरू जी ने लिखा है, मुझे लगता है कि आपको कम से कम उसे पढ़ना चाहिए। उन्होंने अपनी परम्पराओं, संस्कृति और मान्यताओं को प्राथमिकता दी है और कहा है कि इसी के आधार पर यह देश आगे बढ़ सकता है।

आज ज्योतिष की बात हो रही है। मैं समझता हूं कि अणुबम का परीक्षण लाखों वर्ष पहले कणाद ऋषि ने इसी धरती पर किया था। हमारे ज्ञान और विज्ञान में कोई कमी नहीं है। जिस बारे में हास्यास्पद स्थिति में कहा जा रहा था कि गणेश का सिर धड़ से अलग हो गया और दक्ष प्रजापति का सिर धड़ से अलग हो गया तो वह सर्जरी नहीं थी, मैं कहना चाहता हूं कि वह सर्जरी थी। पूरी दुनिया में वह विज्ञान कहां है, जो हमारे पास है। सिर से धड़ अलग होने पर उस धड़ पर सिर का प्रत्यारोपण करने का यदि विज्ञान था, वह गणित था, वह ज्ञान था तो केवल हिंदुस्तान की धरती पर था। मैं उस धरती से आता हूं, जो वेद, पुराण और उपनिषदों की धरती है। जो आयुषो: वेद: आयुर्वेद की बात करती है। आयुर्वेद के बारे में भी ऐसे ही लोगों ने तब कहा था कि जड़ी-बूटी से इलाज करने की बात करते हैं, ये पोंगा पंडित हैं। लीक पर चलने वाले लोग हैं। जो लोग तब आयुर्वेद को ऐसा कहते थे, आज सारा विश्व आयुषो: वेद: आयुर्वेद के पीछे खड़ा है। यदि आयुषो: वेद: आयुर्वेद कोई विज्ञान है, मनुष्य के शरीर की रक्षा यदि कोई कर सकता है तो केवल आयुर्विज्ञान है। ज्योतिष तो लाखों वर्ष पहले, लाखों वर्ष पहले की गणना करने वाला विज्ञान है, उसके सामने सारे विज्ञान बौने हैं। इस विज्ञान को और आगे बढ़ाना चाहिए, इसलिए मैं कहना चाहता हूं कि ज्योषित विज्ञान सारी दुनिया के लिए नम्बर एक विज्ञान है। इस पर चर्चा होनी चाहिए, केवल कुछ शब्दों में न कहकर यह ज्योतिष विज्ञान, जो सारी दुनिया का मार्गदर्शन करता है, इसका उचित सम्मान होना चाहिए। मैं इस अनुरोध के साथ अपनी बात समाप्त करना चाहता हूं कि एक ऐसा ही संस्थान हिमालयीराज्यों के लिए स्थापित होना चाहिए। मैं मंत्री जी को पुन: बधाई देना चाहता हूं कि पुरातन परम्पराओं पर सारे विश्व में काम करने वाला एक संस्थान बनाने का बिल वे लाईं । धन्यवाद।

(इति)

1704 hours

SHRI E.T. MOHAMMAD BASHEER (PONNANI): Sir, I thank you for giving me this opportunity. I welcome this Bill. We can be proud of the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi and our other two institutions. Our School of Planning and Architecture in Delhi is a top-ranked institution in India and is the seventh best in Asia.

When we are discussing this Bill, my humble submission is about setting our targets or goals. The aim of this Bill is to develop these three institutions into institutions of national level importance and that is all right.

I am of the firm opinion that this is an international era of education. Our goal setting should be that of international standard. India is going to be the leader of technical education in the world. So, I am of the firm opinion that we can become the leader in the technical education. Our future is bright. I understand that the hon. Minister is realising this and this is why, she has now come forward to have this kind of legislation.

Now, coming to the various aspects, Government’s policy support is very much required in all these things whether it be IIT, IIM, NIT. We can be proud of these institutions. Similarly, we are having best technical universities such as Anna University, Chennai, Ambedkar University, Mumbai, Jodhpur University, Kolkata, BITS, Rajasthan, BITS, Ranchi. All these institutions are performing very well. We have to do the maximum possible for the development of these institutions to the international level. As correctly pointed out by my learned friends, we can be proud of our glorious tradition of architecture. Our architecture is a mix of our culture. Whether it is Buddhist architecture or Mughal influenced architecture, temples, mosques, forts and churches, all these things are there. It is a socio-culture of our civilisation.

Sir, we had a glorious tradition. Our speciality was climate responsive architecture. As I told you earlier, institutes like our socio-cultural background and even the small houses in our village are really treated as the symbol. As far as modern architecture is concerned, we can be proud in many respects. Architecture design in India is marvellous. We can be proud of our international stadiums. Vast dams and bridges were constructed in India. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru described dams as the temples of our nation. Our country can be proud of this also. We have beautiful harbours. We have fifty plus floor buildings in Mumbai and Bangaluru and other cities of our country.

Sir, I would like to point out one very important thing. Quantity versus quality is a problem. We had many institutions. My friends were saying that mushroom growth of institution is there. That is very good. We are having different kind of institutions. We are having different kind of projects like TIQUIP. I congratulate the Government for this project. TIQUIP is one of the best projects for the quality development of technical education. I myself was the Minister for Education for seven years in the State of Kerala. We have made use of it. TIQUIP will have to be strengthened. This kind of quality improvement project in the higher education is very much required. I hope that the Minister will give emphasis in this direction also.

Sir, I wish to point out one very important thing. More and more research should be done in two aspects – first on eco-friendly building and second on low income group house construction. I appeal to the hon. Minister to give an emphasis on this aspect. Our Indian colleges especially the architectural institution should give importance to this kind of research. I hope that hon. Minister will give direction in this regard also.

Towards the end, I wish to point out one more thing, that is, representation of SC, ST and OBC in the higher education especially in the technical education.

What exactly the Sachar Committee has recommended. If we go through the representation of minorities in the IITs and IIM, I wish to say that it is negligible. We have to correct it. I hope that the Government will come forward to correct this mistake. If you go through this Bill, there is a provision for that. When we talk of social justice, we forget it when it comes to ground realities. I appeal to the Government to ensure social justice here also.

With these few words, I once again support this Bill and conclude.

(ends)

1711 hours

SHRI PREM DAS RAI (SIKKIM): Sir, I rise to support the School of Planning and Architecture Bill, 2014. The Statement of Objects is very clear. It is to declare the three Schools as institutions of national importance, to create the Councils and to empower the institutions to grant degrees to students. I think, all of these objects are laudable.

I would just like to make a mention of a few things. As has been mentioned by many of the speakers, India is a melting pot of so many civilizations. Therefore, our architecture will, in that sense, have to show that. It has to also ensure that those civilizations and what has come from those civilizations will need to be felt through the architectural process. It is also important to understand that since 1959, there has just been one institution, the School of Planning and Architecture in New Delhi. In 2008, two have subsequently come and in 2014 these three institutions is all that we are looking at. What I would like to request the Government through you that more such institutions need to be established because the globalization process is already upon us. We are, as a nation, moving forward. We have to ensure that our architecture and the architectural processes of our country are seen right across the world.

I would like to make a mention of the need for mountain architecture. For instance, in the mountains, there is a need to capture mountain architecture. With the institutions that are available here, perhaps we are not really doing the due justice. That is why, I think, we need to have a School of Planning and Architecture in one of the mountain States. If it is done in the State of Sikkim, we will be delighted. So, I would request that a School of Planning and Architecture may be established in the State of Sikkim because the architecture of the mountains is something which I do not think is seen other than when we talk of other things like organic farming but not in the arena of design.

India boasts of the IITs. We boast of our IIMs. We boast of our so many other institutions which have given to the world a huge number of young people who are doing yeoman’s service. Just recently we know that from one of the IITs, girl students have actually been recruited at Rs. 1 crore plus in terms of annual salaries. This itself speaks volumes of the kind of students and the kind of consequent action that is taken up in terms of outcomes. This is where I think, the School of Planning and Architecture would also find its place amongst all these kinds of institutions. I do understand and hope that we will be able to raise many more Schools of Planning and Architecture in our country.

With these words, I support the Bill.

(ends)

१७१५ बजे

श्री शैलेन्द्र कुमार (नालंदा): महोदय, मैं इस विधेयक के समर्थन में बोलने के लिए खड़ा हुआ हूं। माननीय मंत्री जी ने सदन में जो विधेयक रखा है, वह निश्चित रूप से सराहनीय है। जैसा कि हम सभी जानते हैं कि माननीय प्रधानमंत्री जी ने देश के लोगों को सौ स्मार्ट सिटी बनाने का सपना दिखाया है। उन्होंने सांसद आदर्श ग्राम योजना का भी सपना दिखाया है। इस सपने को पूरा करने के लिए बड़ी संख्या में योजनाकारों और वास्तुकारों की आवश्यकता पड़ेगी।

मैं माननीय मंत्री जी को इस विधेयक के बारे में एक बात कहना चाहूंगा कि इसमें आरक्षण का कोई ध्यान नहीं रखा गया है। दलित और ओ.बी.सी. के लोग भी देश में रहते हैं, उनके बारे में भी आपको सोचना चाहिए। विद्यार्थी की योग्यता का क्या मापदंड होगा, छात्रवृत्ति के बारे में विश्वविद्यालय का क्या मापदंड होगा, उसके बारे में इसमें जो नहीं किया गया है। मैं माननीय मंत्री जी से कहना चाहता हूं कि इस बिल में कुछ और सुधार करने चाहिए थे, क्योंकि, इस देश में पिछड़े लोगों और दलितों की काफी संख्या है। वास्तुकला और वास्तुकारों के बारे में इन योजनाओं पर जो खर्चा होने वाला है, उसमें भी वभिन्नता है। मैं माननीय मंत्री जी से कहना चाहूंगा कि जब राष्ट्रीय महत्व के संस्थान आप बनाना चाहते हैं, तो निश्चित रूप से सबको एक समान द्रष्टि से देखना चाहिए। योजना और वास्तुकला विद्यालय, जो दिल्ली में है, उसकी १९५९ में स्थापना हुई थी। इसके अलावा जो दो संस्थाएं हैं वह भोपाल और विजयवाड़ा में है। इन्हें राष्ट्रीय स्तर के विश्वविद्यालयों से जोड़ा जाएगा।

मैं आपसे कहना चाहता हूं कि मैं नालंदा संसदीय क्षेत्र से आता हूं। वहां भी अंतरराष्ट्रीय विश्वविद्यालय की पढ़ाई शुरू कर दी गई है। मैं कहना चाहता हूं कि नालंदा विश्वविद्यालयो भी इससे जोड़ा जाए, जिससे कि हमारे संसदीय क्षेत्र का विकासो और बिहार का भी विकास हो। यह जो बिल लाया गया है, केवल तीन जगह के लिए ही नहीं लाना चाहिए बल्कि दूसरे प्रदेशों को भी इसमें जोड़ने की जरूरत थी। राष्ट्रीय महत्व के और भी संस्थान खोले जाएं, यही बात कह कर मैं अपनी बात को समाप्त करता हूं।

(इति)

1719 hours

SHRI N.K. PREMACHANDRAN (KOLLAM): Thank you, Mr. Deputy-Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to participate in the discussion. Sir, I rise to support this Bill with certain observations.

There is no doubt that the country as well as the globe is drastically changing at a supersonic speed. Fast development is going on through out the world and it is becoming very difficult to distinguish between rural and urban areas. In such a scenario, definitely it is highly required to have qualified manpower in the field of architecture and planning. The industrial environment in the country is also drastically changing.

I support this Bill which gives not only national status but also statutory backing to these three institutions at Delhi, Vijayawada and Bhopal.

Sir, when I talk about this subject, it is no doubt that it has already been discussed in detail regarding the significance and importance of having scientific planning in the country. Most of the planning in the country is not based on a scientific plan and scientific architecture. So, difficulty is being faced by the country. In order to avoid this situation, we should have that expertise with manpower so as to rectify this mistake. But the main point which I would like to highlight is that the Delhi Institute was established in the year 1915 at the time of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and also so many other nationally reputed institutes like IIT, NIT and AIIMS and so many other nationally prestigious institutes have also been set up later. I also remember that during 1986 the New Education Policy was promulgated by late Prime Minister Shri Rajiv Gandhi and the main ingredient of the New Education Policy at that time was setting up centres of excellence. Now we are all talking about the centres of excellence. Definitely we should remember late Shri Rajiv Gandhi for implementing or promulgating New Education Policy. This time I would like to make certain reservation in respect of this fact also.

Now, we are all behind centres of excellence. Definitely, the country should have the centres of excellence. At the same time, I would like to urge upon the Government and also draw the attention of the hon. Minister towards the situation of education in other sector, especially the pathetic situation of universities in the country. The new NDA Government is focusing at centralized development like 100 smart cities, 1500 odd small villages or Adarsh Grams and now these institutions. This is against the spirit of decentralization. When we talk about the development of the smart cities, when we talk about Adarsh Grams, when we talk about these institutes and pioneer institutions of national standard, we should also take into consideration other institutions of our country. The universities and colleges of our country don’t have even basic infrastructure. That should also be taken care of when we promote and encourage these institutions as national institutions. Also I would like to raise another point regarding education system in our country, especially higher education system in our country. You may be well aware that in our Indian education system there is privatization and privatization has been transformed into commercialization of education. Now the commercialization of education is coupled with saffronization also. We do agree with the privatization because the private sector has contributed a lot in developing universal education of our country in higher education and we do accept it. But subsequently, the main purpose of self-financing institutions and the autonomous institutions is to have business. Now the education has become a lucrative business in our country.

I would like to draw the attention of the Government to a recent judgment of hon. Kerala High Court in which self-financing engineering colleges were evaluated by hon. High Court by appointing a commission and it is being reported that out of the number of engineering colleges in the State, 30 colleges were blacklisted from which none of the students could come out with success. That is the pathetic situation of the self-financing colleges and institutions in our country. Now with self-financing institutions, there is also saffronization of Indian system of education. After this Government assumed charge, controversies are coming up one by one in our country. We know that Sanskrit has been made a mandatory language to be studied in Central Schools. Also, the Chairman of Indian Council of Historical Research has said that his prime aim and motto is to trace the historic background of Ramayana and Mahabharata and then there is controversy over Aligarh University also. The autonomous and independent character of the universities is being interfered by the Government. It is not fair as far as universities are concerned.

The autonomous and independent character of the universities is being interfered by the Government, the political executive. It is not fair as far as universities are concerned. So, the academic excellence and academic freedom should be protected. When we talk about this Bill, definitely we should think about other institutions also.

With these words, I support the Bill. Thank you.

(ends)

१७२५ बजे

डॉ. मनोज राजोरिया (करौली-धौलपुर): आदरणीय उपाध्यक्ष महोदय, आपने मुझे इस बिल पर बोलने का अवसर दिया, इसके लिए मैं आपका बहुत आभारी हूं। यह हमारे लिए सौभाग्य का विषय है कि लोक सभा चुनाव के पहले से ही आदरणीय प्रधानमंत्री जी ने देश के लिए प्लानिंग और आर्किटेक्ट की योजना बना ली थी। चुनाव से पहले जिस तरीके से उनके नेतृत्व में भारतीय जनता पार्टी ने काम किया और देश की दिशा और दशा में परिवर्तन करने के लिए जो योजना बनायी, उसी योजना का परिणाम है कि आज यह स्कूल ऑफ प्लानिंग एंड आर्किटेक्चर बिल, २०१४ हमारे सामने है।

आदरणीय एच.आर.डी. मंत्री, श्रीमती स्मृति ईरानी जी उनके विकास की इस यात्रा में कदम से कदम मिलाकर, कंधे से कंधा मिलाकर देश के विकास के लिए कार्य कर रही हैं। जैसा कि पिछले ही सप्ताह हमने देखा था कि उन्होंने ट्रिपल आई.टी. बिल, २०१४ पेश किया था। ऐसा लगता है कि मंत्री जी देश के विकास और उन्नति के लिए प्रतिबद्ध हैं। मैं उनके इस बिल का समर्थन करता हूं। इस बल में वैश्विक परिद्रश्य को ध्यान में रखा गया है कि किस तरीके से देश में हमारे यहां आर्किटेक्चर प्लानिंग को डेवलप करके विश्व में हम अपनी शक्ति बढ़ा सकते हैं, योग्यता बढ़ा सकते हैं, इसका पूरा ध्यान दिया गया है। ऐसा लगता है कि यह बिल इन संस्थाओं को बनाकर न सिर्फ राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर, बल्कि अंतर्राष्ट्रीय स्तरर भी अपना सम्मान बढ़ायेगा।

हम किसी भी शहर में चले जाएं, किसी भी गांव में चले जाएं, वहां प्लानिंग की कोई न कोई कमी लगती है। एक बार सड़क बनती है, तो सीवरेज डालने के लिए सड़क उखाड़ दी जाती है। अगली बार फिर सड़क बनती है, तो पानी की लाइन डालने के लिए सड़क उखाड़ दी जाती है। कोई न कोई समस्या पैदा होती रहती है। अगर बिजली जलती है तो भी खंभे को लगाने के लिए सड़क उखाड़ दी जाती है। घर बनते हैं, तो भी ऐसी कोई न कोई समस्या सामने आती रहती है। बहुत सारे ऐसे क्षेत्र हैं, जिनके लिए प्लानिंग और आर्किटेक्चर की सख्त आवश्यकता थी। मैं मंत्री जी को बधाई देता हूं कि उन्होंने देश की इस जरूरत को समझा। देश के विकास के लिए इस स्कूल की स्थापना की, जरूरत को उन्होंने समझा और इस स्थापना के माध्यम से देश के लिए, गरीबों के लिए, अमीरों के लिए, सबके लिए कार्य करने का अवसर प्रदान किया।

मैं मंत्री जी का ध्यान इस चीज की ओर भी दिलाना चाहूंगा कि पिछले ६५ वर्षों में कांग्रेस के राज में गरीबों को इग्नोर किया गया, गरीबों की अनदेखी की गयी, उनके लिए आवास की व्यवस्था नहीं की गयी। मंत्री जी, मैं आपसे इस बिल के माध्यम से कहना चाहूंगा कि गरीबों के लिए आवास की बहुत आवश्यकता है। गरीबों को आपकी द्रृष्टि की बहुत आवश्यकता है। उनके विकास के लिए, कम बजट वाली कोई ऐसी योजना लाएं, जिससे उनको भी इसका लाभ मिल सके।

मैं आपका ध्यान राजस्थान की ओर ले जाना चाहूंगा। राजस्थान में आदरणीय मुख्यमंत्री श्रीमती वसुंधरा राजे भी आपकी तरह एक महिला हैं। प्लानिंग और आर्किटेक्चर में वह भी आपकी तरह बहुत विज़नरी महिला हैं। राजस्थान देश में विकास के लिए, वास्तु और स्थापना के लिए, प्लानिंग और आर्किटेक्चर के लिए न सिर्फ हिंदुस्तान में, बल्कि पूरे विश्व में माना जाता है। मैं राजस्थान की राजधानी जयपुर के सम्बन्ध में ही आपसे बात कर सकता हूं। राजस्थान की राजधानी जयपुर में राजा जयसिंह ने बहुत दूर की प्लानिंग करके आर्किटेक्चर की एक योजना बनायी। जयपुर शहर उसी योजना का परिणाम है।

राजस्थान का हवा महल राजधानी जयपुर में स्थित है। सिटी पैलेस, आमेर फोर्ट भी राजधानी जयपुर में हैं और ऐसी अनेकों बिल्डिंग्स हैं। पूरा शहर इस तरीके से बसाया गया था। यह उनकी प्लानिंग और आर्किटेक्चर का ही एक नतीजा है।

मैं आपके माध्यम से न सिर्फ जयपुर शहर, बल्कि मेरे संसदीय क्षेत्र करौली, धौलपुर के बारे में भी कहना चाहूंगा। करौली के अंदर भंवर विलास पैलेस, मदन मोहन जी मंदिर, धौलपुर के अंदर धौलपुर पैलेस और मचकुंड जैसी बहुत सारी बिल्डिंग्स प्लानिंग और आर्किटेक्चर के साथ बनायी गयी हैं, जिसके माध्यम से हम शिक्षा ग्रहण कर सकते हैं और देश के विकास में योगदान दे सकते हैं। अगर, मैं राजस्थान की बात करूं तो राजस्थान का प्रत्येक क्षेत्र प्लानिंग और आर्किटेक्चर के लिए अपने-आप में गौरव की भावना रख सकता है। मैं राजस्थान के चितौड़गढ़ किले की बात कहना चाहता हूं। वहां के महाराणा प्रताप हमारे देश के गौरव के प्रतीक माने जाते हैं। चितौड़गढ़ किले के साथ-साथ, हमें उदयपुर में भी वास्तुकला का बहुत बड़ा उदाहरण देखने को मिल सकता है। हम सिरोही की बात कर सकते हैं। हमें सिरोही में ऐसे वास्तुकला के बहुत सारे उदाहरण मिल जाएंगे। राजस्थान में उदयपुर, कोटा, बूंदी इत्यादि अनेकों जगों पर ऐसे उदाहरण देखने को मिल जाएंगे, जिनके माध्यम से आर्किटेक्चर का विकास किया जा सकता है।

अंत में, मैं कहना चाहता हूं कि राजस्थान प्लानिंग और आर्किटेक्चर के क्षेत्र में वर्षों से गौरवशाली इतिहास रखता है। मंत्री महोदय, मैं राजस्थान की जनता की ओर से आपसे आग्रह करूंगा कि राजस्थान में भी आपके आर्शीवाद से एक योजना और वास्तुकला विद्यालय की स्थापना की जाये। मैं आशा करता हूं कि आप राजस्थान की इस मांग पर बहुत सहानुभूतिपूर्वक विचार कर वहां इसकी स्थापना करेंगे। धन्यवाद।

(इति)

SHRI K. PARASURAMAN (THANJAVUR): Hon. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to speak today for my Thanjavur constituency. I would humbly submit my profound thanks to the Tamil Nadu Makkal Mudthivar hon. Puratchi Thalavi Amma. I would humbly request Madam to consider the long pending request of the people of my constituency to lay a new railway line and to introduce a new train service between Thanjavur to Ariyalur BG line. People of my constituency have been demanding this for long.

Secondly, a railway line between Thanjavur and Pattukottai has already been approved but no fund has been allotted for it till now. I urge upon the Government to consider the above proposals favourably and expedite its implementation.

Thank you, Sir.

(ends)

ADV. JOICE GEORGE (IDUKKI): I thank you for giving me this opportunity to participate in the discussion on this Bill. I rise to support it. I sincerely wish and hope that our school of planning and architecture in our country will not only be the institution of national importance but of international excellence too.

We have a lot of institutions of national importance but out of 200 institution of excellence at the international level none of our institutions is being enlisted. This means that we are lacking behind the international excellence and international standards in technical as well as professional education. We should take some initiative in that regard too. All of us believe that we are fortunate enough to have this kind of education sector but we should move from good to great otherwise we will lack opportunities in the international education scenario and the employment market.

Coming to the Bill, we are talking of the welfare of the students. This Bill has especially been introduced to give certificates to the students who have completed their studies in Bhopal and Vijayawada Schools of Planning and Architecture. Section 32 of the Bill deals with the dispute redressal system but there is no mention of the disputes of the students. The mechanism is there only for redressal of disputes between teachers and schools. In our education system today, under the guise of internal assessment, students are being harassed by the schools. Sarcastically it is termed as ‘Internal Harassment’ rathan than ‘Internal Assessment’ in many of our schools.

In some of the private colleges and institutions this instrument of internal assessment is being used for failing students for the purpose of getting more fees from the students. So, I urge upon the hon. Minister, through you, that there should be a mechanism, a statutorily recognised mechanism for redressing the grievances of the students, especially the harassment meted out to the students from the internal assessment under the guise of improving the quality of education and all.

The other thing is as per the 256th Report of the Departmentally Related Standing Committee on HRD, a sum of Rs. 2214 has remained unspent balance. The institutions are not able to spend the money earmarked for higher education. But on the other hand, all our educational institutions are starved of funds and are running for money for improving their quality of education by appointing more faculties etc. So, I urge upon the hon. Minister to look into this matter and make some arrangements for appointments of faculties in all our universities and institutions. There is a shortage of 1,70,000 teachers all across the country.

Once again, I support this Bill and congratulate the hon. Minister for introducing such a fantastic Bill for improving our education system.

Thank you.

(ends)

SHRI KONDA VISHWESHWAR REDDY (CHEVELLA): Sir, thank you for giving me this opportunity. I have only two suggestions to make.

Architecture is a multi-disciplinary subject. Besides structural engineering it involves art and aesthetics, sociology, about how people live and work and environment and culture. My suggestion is that we need to involve eminent sociologists and artists possibly in the Board.

Secondly, it is highly connected to life style and regional cultures. So, I think, there should a school of architecture and planning in every region since it is associated with regional culture and life styles.

Thank you.

(ends)

THE MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI): Sir, at the outset I would like to appreciate the valuable suggestions given by every Member of Parliament and also for the unanimous support given to this Bill. Today I speak with a little bit of a conflicting emotion. I had a learned man say in this House that he envied me, a man I have deep respect for, a senior, Prof. Saugata Roy ji. He spoke presumably about two books written by Ann Ryan – At Last Shrugged and Fountainhead, presuming possibly and I say the word presuming possibly that I might not have had been blessed with an opportunity to read either. While I do not express the anguish of the protagonist Howard Roark, let me say that there have been question marks which have been put forth with regard to what Education policy is being envisaged rather than pertaining discussions by certain Members only to the elements of the Bill. Shri Roy was kind enough to accept that he did not get into the depths of the Bill and hence used his time judiciously to mount a personal attack to which I have absolutely no problems about. There was time when Albert Einstein said that science without religion is lame. Thankfully, he did not have to pass through the scrutiny of Prof. Saugata da, otherwise he would have to wonder if he was communal.

There are some contentious issues though that have been raised with regard to scientific temper. आज इस सदन में भगवान के होने का प्रमाण मांगा गया। लेकिन मेरे पास जिम्मेदारी प्रभु के होने का प्रमाण की नहीं ज्ञान का संचार कराने की है। Scientific temper vis-à-vis the Ministry has been questioned today. I have access to certain articles where my predecessors refused to get into office without getting the vastu checked first. I am sure Saugata da can be having the time to peruse the same articles.

But the intention here is not to create a contentious environment. The intention here is to carry forward a consensus on issues which are extremely important to our students and it is famously said that we shape our buildings and thereafter, they shape us.

Shri Ramachandran spoke about architectural glories of the very building in which this Bill is being debated. I, as a Member of Parliament, extend my compliments to a youngster who defines what new Indian politics is all about. Shri Gaurav Gogoi, my compliments for your speech in Parliament today! My compliments to you because you spoke with passion on issues pertaining to education.

You made some charges on me. I do not accept the same. One of the charges was that we have turned IITs into a vegetarian complex. I would like to, through you, Sir, tell my young and learned friend that the IITs students in Delhi explained and, in fact, expressed their anguish at the high cost of non-vegetarian food and it was stopped in April, 2014 much before I took office.

In fact, the IITs are exploring through three organisations or individuals the possibility of providing non-vegetarian food to its students. These are decisions in which I do not interfere with.

There have been mentions made about legacy of education in our country. We paid obeisance to Pandit Nehru. A Member here paid obeisance to Rajiv Gandhi Ji and also how Education Policy was crafted by certain leaders.

I do not, in anyway, deny their contributions to the Indian political system or for that matter, the Indian educational system. But when I am accused of only upholding Sanskrit because I am saffron, I would like to remind my learned friends that I was upholding an aspect of the National Policy on Education, as envisaged by Shri Gandhi, which spoke of the three language formula.… (Interruptions) But it is the law of the land now.

I uphold an MoU - and it is a question which the House should answer - which says that German is the third language of India. Can I, as a representative of our nation, sign that? Honestly, I cannot. The only thing I can do is to ensure that the children in our schools and colleges have access to Indian and foreign languages. And I tell you, Sir, today that let this House know that, apart from German, French, Japanese, Mandarin are continued to be taught in Kendriya Vidyalayas. While everybody seeks to embrace legacies, let us even embrace this for if we do not embrace our languages, then who will? We embrace Maulana Azad; we embrace Pandit Nehru; we embrace the legacy of Rajiv Gandhi but this is also the 900th year of Bhaskaracharya. Would we leave our legacy behind when it is inconvenient?

Sir, the question that needs to be asked today is that when we talk about scientific temper, what is that we attribute that thought process to? Mr. Gogoi spoke about the need to inculcate that temper in our youngsters. There are concerns that the learning outcomes from Grade 6 to Grade 8 in Science and Maths have fallen to as below as 30 per cent and for addressing that concern, a whole week will be dedicated to Maths in our country, that is, the week preceding the 22nd December which is the National Mathematics Day. We call that week Ganith. Ganith is meant for growing aptitude for numerical innovation and training. Through this, we are trying to infuse innovations in numericals and innovation in mathematics and help increase scientific temper but to compliment scientific temper and enquiry-based learning, we are also, in the Ministry, working so that patents, research and all issues pertaining to science are something that can be strengthened within our institutions and through the efforts of various State Governments and agencies in conjunction with the Central Government.

Sir, our Members have expressed concern as to whether Reservation Policy is applicable to these institutions or not. Let me assure them that it is. It is not only for admission of students but also the reservation structure, as has been envisaged by an Act of Parliament in IITs and NITs, is also applicable to the Schools of Planning and Architecture.

There is a mention here as to whether our faculty can be made world class. Through the global initiative of academic networks, we have implored to all industry experts worldwide. We are engaging in conversations with nations like the United Kingdom and the United States as to highlight to us who are their best academicians who can be brought to teach at least one semester at the cost of the Government of India in all our Central Universities, IITs, IIMs and even the Schools of Planning and Architecture.

There was a concern expressed that architecture is not only about buildings, but it is also about other aspects. I agree with that. Architecture begins where engineering ends. It is blessed that in our SPAs we also teach environmental planning. We also teach heritage conversation.

There has been a concern expressed as to whether the finances of these institutions will be audited. As in the case of IITs and NITs, let me assure the House, that at the end of the financial year, the Annual Report and the Audit done by the CAG will be laid on the Table of the House.

There was a suggestion made whether these schools can be made functional in such a fashion that they profit from our students. Since these are institutes of national importance and funded by the Government of India, it is not the intention of the Government of India to accrue profits from its own children, from its own citizens.

There have been some wonderful suggestions made as to whether students of these institutions can work with our urban local bodies, especially by Shri Satpathy, through the Ministry of Urban Development and through my own Ministry, I will appeal to each State Government so that they can look towards the prospects of engaging these students at a local level from the perspective of planning and architecture.

I would here, given the exhaustive time we have taken in discussing every detail of this particular Bill, also highlight certain international tie-ups that have already been explored and which are already underway in the three institutions, and in the SPA, Delhi. For those who are concerned whether world class education will be given in these institutions, let it be known that the University of Washington, Architectural Academy, U.K., the Georgia Tech University, Atlanta, the Norwegian Institute of Technology, the Well School of Architecture, the Kyoto University, the United Nations University, Tokyo, the Copenhagen University, have already entered into tie-ups with these three institutions.

I have had the privilege of debating in this august House two Bills before this one. In those Bills as well as this Bill today, I see an air and a cohesive decision to have a situation of consensus.

I extend, through you, my gratitude to all Members of Parliament who are today coming forth and supporting this Bill. I see that my senior colleague, Shri Arvind Sawant, is bothered about the JJ School of Art. It is a private institution, which receives some funding from the UGC. But within the UGC, we are also exploring possibilities of supporting those institutions which have heritage vale. I will go back to my office and with authorities in the UGC explore certain possibilities with regard to the JJ School of Art, but I cannot give you an assurance till I study the matter in great detail.

Once again, through you, I thank this House.

(ends)

HON. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: The question is:

“That the Bill to establish and declare Schools of Planning and Architecture as Institutions of national importance in order to promote education and research in architectural studies including planning of human settlements, be taken into consideration. ”

The motion was adopted.

HON. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Now, the House will take up clause by clause consideration of the Bill.

The question is:

“That clauses 2 to 6 do stand part of the Bill.”

The motion was adopted.

Clauses 2 to 6 were added to the Bill.

Clause 7

HON. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Shri Premachandran, are you moving your amendment?

SHRI N.K. PREMACHANDRAN (KOLLAM): Yes, I beg to move:

Page 4, after lines 18, insert, --

“(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), a School shall not receive or insist any donation from students seeking admission.”. (1)

It is said that the property of the institution or the school should never be sold without the prior approval of the Central Government. So, I would like to another clause, sub-clause 3, because it is donation. It is being stated not only here but also in Chapter IV. It also specifically states about “all monies received by school by way of grant, gifts, donations, benefications, bequeaths and transfer.”

So, the reasonable apprehension on my part is that whether a huge amount of donation will be received from the students because most of the institutions like this, if they are facing some financial crisis, resort to this practice. This is the way of mobilising resources. Will it be applicable in this school also? That is my apprehension.

SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI: Sir, if you permit me to answer, let me assure the hon. Member that no donation will be asked for from any student. In fact, as per the rules, if anybody does ask for donation, he will be severely penalised. That is an instruction I will give.

HON. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: I will now put Amendment No.1 to clause 7 moved by Shri N.K. Premachandran to the vote of the House.

The amendment was put and negatived.

HON. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: The question is:

“That clause 7 stand part of the Bill.”

The motion was adopted.

Clause 7 was added to the Bill.

Clauses 8 to 14 were added to the Bill.

Clause 15

HON. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Shri Tathagata Satpathy, are you moving Amendment No. 2 to clause 15?

SHRI TATHAGATA SATPATHY (DHENKANAL): Sir, I wanted to move the amendment but after listening to the very passionate speech of the hon. Minister, I am not moving both my amendments. She has pointedly addressed what I wanted to know. So, I am not moving both my amendments.

HON. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: So, you are not moving them.

The question is:

“That clauses 15 to 29 stand part of the Bill.

The motion was adopted.

Clauses 15 to 29 were added to the Bill.

Clause 30

HON. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Shri Tathagata Satpathy, are you moving your amendments?

SHRI TATHAGATA SATPATHY (DHENKANAL): No, Sir, I am not moving my amendments.

HON. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: The question is

“That clauses 30 to 42 stand part of the Bill.

The motion was adopted.

Clauses 30 to 42 were added to the Bill. The Schedule was added to the Bill.

Clause 1, the Enacting Formula and the Title were added to the Bill.

SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI: I beg to move: “That the Bill be passed.”

HON. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Motion moved:

“That the Bill be passed.”

HON. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Shri P.P. Chaudhary, if you want to ask any question, you can ask.

SHRI P.P. CHAUDHARY (PALI): I am putting my question to the hon. Minister through you, Sir.

In section 32, although it is well-worded and it is for the purpose especially of constitution of the Tribunal of Arbitration, although it provides for resolution of the dispute between an employee and the school yet it nowhere includes the student. We see the litigation of the students is also there. So, my request to the hon. Minister is that the word “student” may also be included.

HON. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Shri C.R. Chaudhary, you have given the name. Do you want to say anything?

SHRI C.R. CHAUDHARY (NAGAUR): No.

… (Interruptions)

SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI: Sir, I would just like to highlight to the hon. Member through you that there will be a provision of Students’ Council in these institutions. A Dean of Students Welfare in the institution will be appointed and the students’ grievances will be resolved through the Faculty and Students interaction.

HON. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: The question is:

“That the Bill be passed.”

The motion was adopted.

HON. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: The motion is adopted and the Bill is passed.