Couple, son from Davanagere found dead in US; suicide suspected
Bengaluru: A couple from Karnataka and their six-year-old son died in Maryland state, Baltimore, in the US, but the reason for their death is yet to be ascertained. While the couple are suspected to have committed suicide, the relatives in Karnataka have asked for an investigation, insisting that the trio had no reason to commit suicide.
The deceased have been identified as Yogesh Honnala (37), Pratibha Honnala (35) and their son Yash. The couple, who were natives of Davanagere, had been living in the US for nine years and worked as software engineers in Maryland.
Yogesh's mother Shobha has said that the Baltimore police officers called her on Saturday and informed her that her son and his family had committed suicide but an investigation was on to find the reason for taking their lives. "My son and daughter-in-law were leading a happy life in the US. We have no idea what prompted them to take such an extreme step and want to know the truth about the incident," she has said.
The family members have also urged the government to help them bring the mortal remains of the three people to India.
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Bill to set up single higher education regulator likely to be tabled in Parliament next week
New Delhi (PTI): A Bill which seeks to set up a single regulator for institutions of higher education is required to facilitate universities and other higher educational institutes become independent and self-governing, officials said.
The Bill is likely to be introduced in Parliament next week after it got the Union Cabinet's nod on Friday.
The proposed legislation, which was earlier christened the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill, has now been named Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill.
A single higher education regulator, which was proposed in the new National Education Policy (NEP), looks to replace the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).
"The Bill proposes to set up a Higher Education Commission of India to facilitate universities and other higher educational institutes become independent and self-governing institutions and to promote excellence through a robust and transparent system of accreditation and autonomy. It is likely to be introduced (in Parliament) in the coming week," an official said.
While the UGC presently oversees non-technical higher education in the country, the AICTE oversees technical education, while the NCTE is the regulatory body for teachers' education.
The Commission is proposed to be set up as a single higher education regulator, but medical and law colleges will not be brought under its ambit.
It is proposed to have three major roles -- regulation, accreditation and setting professional standards, officials said.
Funding, which is seen as the fourth vertical, is not proposed to be under the regulator so far. The autonomy for funding is proposed to be with the administrative ministry, they said.
