From deemed univs to colleges

Akshaya Mukul | TNN

New Delhi: The HRD ministry, which has decided to derecognise 44 “deemed universities’’, said its task force had recomended that institutions not found fit for deemed university status “should revert to status quo ante as an affiliated college of the state university of jurisdiction so that students would be able to complete their ongoing courses and obtain degree from the affiliating university’’. Similarly, medical and dental colleges not found suitable can affiliate to the state university or the state medical university.

In case the institution is unable to obtain affiliation, efforts would be made to facilitate the migration/re-enrolment of the affected students in other institutions. Doctoral students will have to re-register with the affiliating universities and those in distance education should either go to IGNOU or state open universities.

In an affidavit filed in the SC in the Viplav Sharma vs Union of India case, the HRD ministry said the review committee had found only 38 institutes fit to have the deemed university status. Another 44 were found “deficient’’ in some aspects which needed to be rectified over the next three years. With the Supreme Court likely to approve of the HRD’s action, it is unlikely that the government will face any litigation.

These 44 deemed universities have 1,19,363 students at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. In addition, there are 2,124 students pursuing research at MPhil and PhD levels and an estimated 74,808 pursuing distance education programmes. As many as 41 of the 44 deemed universities have several constituent institutions under them. Tamil Nadu has the distinction of having 16 of the 44 derecognised deemed universities. Among those found undeserving of deemed status in TN is Bharath Institute of Higher Education& Research—with six constituent institutions—run by S Jagatharakshakan, MoS, I&B. Karnataka has six derecognised deemed universities, UP four, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Maharashtra three each. Gujarat, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and Bihar have one each.