CIC chides UGC for withholding information on unrecognised degrees

NEW DELHI: The CIC has pulled up the UGC for not sharing complete information about a case of cheating against a deemed University, chided it for being a "post office" and "vehemently defending" the institution facing allegations of invalid medical degrees.

Issuing showcause notice to explain why maximum penalty of Rs 25,000 was not imposed on their officials for withholding information sought by RTI applicant, Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu noted that the CPIO of the UGC was defending the University as if he was its "hired counsel".

Acharyulu said it appears that the UGC office has simply acted as "post office" to transfer letters to the University.

"The Commission noticed that there was no action on the complaints raised by the appellant regarding non-recognition of the degree, sufferings of 42 students, collection of Rs 40 lakh from each student as against declared fee of Rs 3.5 lakh, the cheating case registered by a student, etc. The University also did not respond to any of the letters written by the UGC," the Information Commissioner said.

Acharyulu said it is strange that CPIO of the regulatory authority was arguing on behalf of the deemed to be University instead of explaining measures taken by UGC against varsity as per guidelines and recommendations of Tandon Committee.

"The Commission finds it highly unreasonable that the CPIO was vehemently defending the VMRF University, as if he was hired counsel for that University, citing that the deemed universities have challenged the Tandon Committee report in the court of law," he noted.