His desire to bring a bigger revolution in education than in the telecom sector seems to be waning. He seems to have raised unnecessarily aspirations and expectations of the people by showing them the moon in terms of educational excellence, notwithstanding the fact that only ten percent of total graduates that Indian universities turn out annually are somehow employable according to a 2005 Nasscom & McKinsey report. His Right to Education Law, enacted in pursuance of a Constitution amendment making right to education for children of 6-14 years a Fundamental Right, is yet to take off for lack of integrated coordinated approach to the subject matter between the Centre and the States in view of the fact that Education is a matter listed in the Concurrent List of the Constitution where both the Governments are required to exercise responsibility jointly.

The mess created by the State Governments in the primary education, the very foundation and formative stage of education, in the form of under-employed teachers on contract basis at Rs.4000 to Rs.5000 a month in order to evade responsibility for a full time teachers in terms of total care that include teachers welfare like retirement benefits and pension that demean the very quality of primary and school education, is yet to be cleared. And at that Sibal has been talking of reforms in higher education! This means that only children of rich and elite who can afford private schooling shall be rewarded despite the fact that our system of governance is rule of law based and democratic, where the people are sovereign masters and their common interests cannot be ignored by their elected government. This speaks of dismal failure of Sibal. It is now clear beyond doubt that Sibal's actions, so far, are elitist and in favour of those who can afford. In the process, the poor, the have-nots and the weaker sections would continue to remain deprived of their right to education.

Added to the above, Kapil Sibal's proposed legislation, just cleared by the Union Cabinet, to allow foreign universities and institutes to open their campuses (shops) has the potential to kill IITs, IIMs, Indian Institute of Sciences, Central Universities, State Universities and other institutes of repute. There would be a large scale exodus of seasoned and competent teachers from these hallowed institutes to the foreign universities' campuses in view of the higher and attractive salaries and other related incentives, as has been witnessed in the hallowed medical science institutes and hospitals in the country. Besides, Sibal has plan to allow private sector investments in education while at the same time assuring the people that there would be no place for profit making foreign universities in the country. This comes on the heels of the Government's decision to bring about legislation to ban capitation fees in private institutions, an eye wash, which people would find it difficult to believe as there are ingenious ways to hoodwink the system to accept underhand capitation fees in several other dubious ways. In fact, in our system of governance every body who matters colludes with every body else to thwart the well meaning intents and objectives of the Government.

The other regressive decision is de-recognition of 44 deemed to be universities, now on hold in view of the Supreme Court's stay orders. What will Sibal do to various Central and State universities imparting distance education learning's with the help of dubious franchisee institutions, the same institutions that work as platform for classes, examinations, required attendances and so on both for them and the deemed universities?

Decisions like all India common entrance tests for all subjects at the undergraduate and post-graduate level, grading system for Class Ten, and promise to look into OBC and others quota in private educational institutes are some of the good steps that Sibal has taken to promote quality education. Again, this may not succeed in view of the feared exodus of teachers to the greener pastures of the foreign universities' shops in India and weak primary education for the general public.

Sources in the corridors of power reveal that there are mounting pressure on the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to shift Kapil Sibal to some other Ministry where he may not play havoc like this in the HRD Ministry and replace him by one who is a grass roots level politician and would like to play a level headed approach to education and human resource development as such. High power political lobbies, party members and allies with a big stake in the education are up in arms against Kapil Sibal and are pressuring to ease him out of this high profile Ministry!