HRD panel to probe deemed varsity mess

NEW DELHI: Keen to clean up the deemed-to-be-university mess, human resource development minister Kapil Sibal is not just depending on the University Grants Commission. Mr Sibal is in the process of constituting a committee in the ministry to probe the deemed-to-be-universities.

In the meantime, the UGC has three months to produce a report on existing deemed-to-be-universities. The UGC probe will have to provide a report on the status of accreditation, maintenance of standards, the level of qualified faculty and infrastructure, and sanctity of the admission process in deemed universities.

There are at present 124 deemed universities. There has been a rapid expansion in the number of deemed universities since 2005. Between 1956 and 1990, only 29 institutions were granted the deemed university status, while between 2000 and 2005, 26 private-sponsored institutions got the deemed university status. Since 2005, the number of private deemed universities has increased to 124.

The idea behind setting up a parallel probe at the ministry is to ensure ���an objective probe���. It will also allow the ministry to identify loopholes and lacunae in the existing system. In a sense, the ministry committee will play the role of a distant judge. Under Section 3 of the UGC Act, the commission has the power to give deemed-to-be-university status to institutions.

While the committee is being constituted it is likely to look into the issue of whether the norms and criteria necessary for grant of deemed-to-be university status were met with and adhered to, particularly in the case of de novo deemed-to-be universities.