Question : Functioning of Deemed Universities

(a) whether the Government proposes to establish more deemed universities;
(b) if so, the details of deemed universities in the country, State-wise;
(c) whether the Government proposes to upgrade the standard of deemed universities;
(d) if so, the details of the action taken by the Government thereon and the mechanism
introduced for the evaluation of quality of education in deemed universities; and
(e) whether it has come to the notice of the Government that the deemed to be Universities
are violating the norms/ guidelines prescribed by the University Grants Commission (UGC)
and other similar authorities especially those regarding granting degrees, fee structure,
etc., if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(DR. MAHENDRA NATH PANDEY)
(a) & (b): Institutions desiring to be declared as Deemed to be Universities have to apply to
the Government and if they fulfill all the eligibility conditions mentioned in UGC
(Institutions Deemed to be Universities) Regulations, 2016, they are declared as Deemed to
be Universities under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, after getting recommendations of
UGC. Presently, 33 applications seeking Deemed to be University status are pending with
UGC. At present, 122 Deemed to be Universities are functioning in the country. State-wise /
UT-wise breakup of these Deemed to be Universities is as under:
Andhra Pradesh-5, Arunachal Pradesh-1, Bihar-1, Chandigarh-1, Delhi-10, Gujarat-2,
Haryana-6, Jammu & Kashmir-1, Jharkhand-1, Karnataka-14, Kerala-2, Madhya Pradesh-1,
Maharashtra-21, Odisha-2, Punjab-2, Pondicherry-1, Rajasthan-8, Tamil Nadu-28,
Telangana-2, Uttar Pradesh-9, Uttarakhand-3 and West Bengal-1. Details of these
Universities are also available on the website of UGC at www.ugc.ac.in.
(C) & (D): UGC has notified the new UGC (Institutions Deemed to be Universities)
Regulations, 2016 on 11.07.2016 in which several new measures viz. stringent eligibility
criteria to ensure quality of education, fixing of time frame for processing of application of
Deemed to be University status as well as application for new Off-Campus / new
Department / new Course, reducing the Government / UGC interference in day to day
affairs of Institutes, several students welfare measures, etc. have been incorporated. As per
the provisions of UGC Regulations, 2016, UGC conducts periodic inspection of Deemed to be
Universities for reviewing infrastructure, faculty, admission process, examinations process,
research, etc in order to ensure quality of education in the institutions.
(e): It has been noticed that some of the Deemed to be Universities have established /
started their Off-Campus Centre(s) in violations of the norms/ guidelines of UGC,
therefore, UGC issued notices to 10 Institutions to close all such Off-Campus(es), the details
of which are at Annexure-I. In addition, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) admitted
students in its Chennai Off-Campus from 2010-11 to 2012-13 prior to approval of the
Campus by the Ministry in violation of the Regulations of the UGC. Therefore, action was
taken by the Ministry to reduce the intake capacity of Chennai Off-Campus of VIT by 50% of
total admitted students during 2010-11 to 2012-13 spread over five years from 2016-17.
In addition, further expansion was not allowed in Chennai Off-Campus in terms of intake
capacity and starting any new Course(s) / Programme(s) / Department(s) during 2016-17
to 2020-21 including punishment with a fine of Rupees one thousand as per UGC Act, 1956.
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