Indian Overseas Congress, Bahrain hosts panel discussion on “redefining leadership”
Kingdom of Bahrain: The Indian Overseas Congress (IOC), Bahrain Chapter, successfully organized a compelling Panel Discussion and interaction session themed “Redefining Leadership” at the Park Regis Hotel, Lotus Hall, Bahrain. The event gathered distinguished community leaders, dignitaries, and professionals for an engaging dialogue on the evolving dynamics of leadership in today’s world.
Mr. Mohammad Mansoor, President of IOC Bahrain, welcomed the esteemed guests and speakers in his opening address. He expressed pride in being part of the Indian Overseas Congress and shared inspiration drawn from the vision of their global chairman, Shri Sam Pitroda. “Our chairman has championed the Build, Manage, and Maintain Platform to mobilize and empower overseas Indians. This platform not only strengthens international relations with and for India, but also unites us in our shared commitment to progress and unity,” said Mr. Mansoor.
The keynote speaker, Mathew Kuzhalnadan, Kerala Congress MLA, emphasized the critical need to redefine leadership by focusing on listening rather than imposing. He advocated for a leadership style that actively seeks and values public opinion, a concept that was applauded by all attendees as fresh and innovative.
Renowned journalist Mrs. Raji Unnikrishnan expertly moderated the event. H.E. Yusuf Lori, Director of the Capital Governorate, shared the dais as guest observer and praised the IOC Bahrain for organizing such a meaningful event. “This initiative will certainly add value to community leadership and should be continued to inspire and shape future leaders,” he stated.
The session saw enthusiastic participation from key community leaders who shared their perspectives on leadership in today’s world. Speakers included Mr. Binu Mannil, Chairman of India School Bahrain; Mr. Casious Perera, President of the Indian Club; Mr. Arshad Khan, Vice President of the Urdu Community Bahrain; Mr. Abraham John, President of the Kerala Catholic Association; Mr. Ajit Bagera, President of Kannada Sangha; Mrs. Fawzia Fareed, Vice President of the Indian Ladies Association; Anthony Paulose from Bahrain One Hospitality Group; and Mr. Sibin Thomas, President of the Indian Youth Cultural Centre (IYCC).
Moderator Mrs. Raji Unnikrishnan concluded the session by highlighting key takeaways and announcing plans for ongoing workshops aimed at enhancing youth leadership skills. Mr. Mathew provided an overview of these upcoming initiatives, stressing the importance of equipping young leaders to contribute meaningfully to society and strengthen community leadership.
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Single higher education regulator bill tabled in LS; Oppn flags ‘centralisation,' JPC likely
New Delhi: A bill to set up a 13-member body to regulate institutions of higher education was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan introduced the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, which seeks to establish an overarching higher education commission along with three councils for regulation, accreditation, and ensuring academic standards for universities and higher education institutions in India.
Meanwhile, the move drew strong opposition, with members warning that it could weaken institutional autonomy and result in excessive centralisation of higher education in India.
The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, earlier known as the Higher Education Council of India (HECI) Bill, has been introduced in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The proposed legislation seeks to merge three existing regulatory bodies, the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), into a single unified body called the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan.
At present, the UGC regulates non-technical higher education institutions, the AICTE oversees technical education, and the NCTE governs teacher education in India.
Under the proposed framework, the new commission will function through three separate councils responsible for regulation, accreditation, and the maintenance of academic standards across universities and higher education institutions in the country.
According to the Bill, the present challenges faced by higher educational institutions due to the multiplicity of regulators having non-harmonised regulatory approval protocols will be done away with.
The higher education commission, which will be headed by a chairperson appointed by the President of India, will cover all central universities and colleges under it, institutes of national importance functioning under the administrative purview of the Ministry of Education, including IITs, NITs, IISc, IISERs, IIMs, and IIITs.
At present, IITs and IIMs are not regulated by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Government to refer bill to JPC; Oppn slams it
The government has expressed its willingness to refer it to a joint committee after several members of the Lok Sabha expressed strong opposition to the Bill, stating that they were not given time to study its provisions.
Responding to the opposition, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government intends to refer the Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed examination.
Congress Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari warned that the Bill could result in “excessive centralisation” of higher education. He argued that the proposed law violates the constitutional division of legislative powers between the Union and the states.
According to him, the Bill goes beyond setting academic standards and intrudes into areas such as administration, affiliation, and the establishment and closure of university campuses. These matters, he said, fall under Entry 25 of the Concurrent List and Entry 32 of the State List, which cover the incorporation and regulation of state universities.
Tewari further stated that the Bill suffers from “excessive delegation of legislative power” to the proposed commission. He pointed out that crucial aspects such as accreditation frameworks, degree-granting powers, penalties, institutional autonomy, and even the supersession of institutions are left to be decided through rules, regulations, and executive directions. He argued that this amounts to a violation of established constitutional principles governing delegated legislation.
Under the Bill, the regulatory council will have the power to impose heavy penalties on higher education institutions for violating provisions of the Act or related rules. Penalties range from ₹10 lakh to ₹75 lakh for repeated violations, while establishing an institution without approval from the commission or the state government could attract a fine of up to ₹2 crore.
Concerns were also raised by members from southern states over the Hindi nomenclature of the Bill. N.K. Premachandran, an MP from the Revolutionary Socialist Party representing Kollam in Kerala, said even the name of the Bill was difficult to pronounce.
He pointed out that under Article 348 of the Constitution, the text of any Bill introduced in Parliament must be in English unless Parliament decides otherwise.
DMK MP T.M. Selvaganapathy also criticised the government for naming laws and schemes only in Hindi. He said the Constitution clearly mandates that the nomenclature of a Bill should be in English so that citizens across the country can understand its intent.
Congress MP S. Jothimani from Tamil Nadu’s Karur constituency described the Bill as another attempt to impose Hindi and termed it “an attack on federalism.”
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