Global standard universities announced in Budget 2016 may be created via exec route

NEW DELHI: The 20 world-class universities announced in the 2016 Union budget are likely to be created through the deemed university route, with a special category status that will free them from UGC inspection regime and bring greater financial and academic autonomy backed by a near Rs 500-crore fund for each of the chosen institutes.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley had announced in the 2016 budget that “enabling regulatory architecture will be provided to 10 public and 10 private institutions to emerge as world-class teaching and research institutions”.

The proposal being seriously considered by the HRD ministry is to create a special category for world-class institutions within the deemed to be universities segment, instead of going through the legislative route that may encounter roadblocks in Parliament owing to unfavourable numbers the government has in the Rajya Sabha.

Accordingly, it is proposed that though under the umbrella of deemed varsities, these world-class institutions will not be put through the existing deemed university regulations but be governed by a separate set of regulations — namely the UGC (Declaration of Educational Institutions as World Class Institutions) Guidelines, sources in the HRD ministry told ET.

In case of a private institute/university set up through a state legislation, it will have to be converted into a deemed university with a no-objection certificate from the state concerned for which provision will be made.

It is proposed that an Empowered Expert Committee to which well-regarded members will be appointed through the PM headed Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), will select the 20 institutions to be upgraded to world-class status.

In case of government run institutions that apply for the status, the EEC will closely look at their study plans, presentations and strategic implementation plans and rank them on certain parameters before final selection.

In case of private institutions in the fray, a two-stage process is proposed with a letter of intent that will first be issued and a final MoU that will follow later.