CHECK ON MUSHROOMING PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES
Taking a serious
view of mushrooming private universities unauthorisedly, the University
Grants Commission (UGC) has formulated regulations for their establishment
and maintenance of standards. These regulations lay down the conditions
for their establishment and operation, with a view to safeguard
the interests of the student community as well as maintain quality
of education and avoid any commercialisation of higher education.
Of late, it was noticed that private universities had started
coming up in a big way in several States by-passing sanction by
the UGC.
Forwarding the regulations
to all state education secretaries, the Chairman, UGC, Dr. Arun
Nigavekar, urged them to strictly adhere to these rules, before
establishing any private university. He said, if any private university
has already started functioning, before the commencement of these
regulations, then the state shall ensure that these are fully
complied within three months and the UGC informed. Failure to
comply with this requirement will render invalid any degree/diploma
awarded by the private university, as well as invite penalty under
section 24 of the UGC Act.
Setting up of private
universities through State Acts is a recent phenomenon. An effective
regulatory mechanism thus became necessary for the maintenance
of standards of teaching, research, examination and extension
services in these private universities.
