27 June : Critical about mushrooming growth of deemed universities, a govt appointed committee has said majority of these institutes delude students and the status should be withdrawn if they fail to fulfil the accreditation norms in three years.
The committee on ‘Renovation and Rejuvenation of Higher Education’, headed by Prof Yashpal, has found that academicians are concerned over the fact that majority of the 125 deemed universities are not established with any educational purpose.
"What has raised concern of the academic world is the fact that the majority of these institutions are not established with any educational purpose and they end up only deluding the students," the committee said in its report.
Holding that there has been considerable misuse of deemed university status, the committee has recommended that grant of the status should be put on hold till unambiguous and rational guidelines are evolved.
"The institutions, which have somehow managed to secure such status should be given a period of three years to develop as a university and fulfil the prescribed accreditation norms failing which the status given to them would be withdrawn," the committee suggested in its report submitted to the HRD Ministry this week.The committee has suggested that institutes wishing to get the status should demonstrate special capabilities as was "originally intended" and should be rigorously evaluated.
Though, the deemed universities do not have affiliating powers, many of them have a number of campuses spread throughout the country, the committee said.
While only 29 institutions were granted the deemed university status between 1956 to 1990, about 63 institutes got the status in just 15 years.
In last five year, as many as 36 institutes have been given the status, the committee said. The deemed university status is given under Section 3 of the UGC Act.
The provision for the deemed university status was made with a noble intent as it was felt that institutions having unique and distinct character of their own could enjoy the privileges of a university without loosing their distinct character and autonomy.
However, of late the increase in number of deemed universities is commensurate with the increase of number of institutions of higher learning in the country, it felt.
As per the UGC guidelines, for getting the status, "the institutions should generally be engaged in teaching programmers and research in chosen fields of specialisation which are innovative and very high academic standard at the master’s and research levels."
The UGC guidelines also says the institutions which have greater interface with the society through extramural extension and field-action related programmers should be considered for awarding deemed university status.
The committee found that in the first ten years after the enactment of UFC Act in 1956, only eight institutes were given the status.
The suggestions assume significance as the government has initiated measures to put in place a policy for the grant of deemed university.
HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, who reviewed the process for declaring an institution as ‘Deemed to be University’ earlier this month, has directed the UGC to keep "in abeyance" all pending proposals till a thorough review of the functioning of the existing such institutions was undertaken.
Sibal has said that the government will rethink the structure in which deemed university status is given to institutions.
He has said the ministry will set up its own committee very soon to review the functioning of the deemed universities.
The report will come in the next three months. Depending on the gravity of violations of guidelines, the ministry will take actions which could include withdrawal of ‘deemed-to-be-university’ status from the errant institutions.