(a) whether the Government had appointed a Committee to study the status of deemed universities as reported in the Hindu dated September 25, 2006;
(b) if so, whether the said Committee has submitted its report;
(c) if so, the finding thereof;
(d) whether the Government has now permitted the deemed universities to use the word university with their name;
(e) if so, the details thereof; and
(f) if not, the reasons therefor?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SMT. D. PURANDESWARI)
(a) to (f): Institutions are declared deemed-to-be-
universities by the Central Government on the
recommendation of the University Grants Commission (UGC)
under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956. The UGC
constituted a Committee comprising the Chairman, UGC,
Chairman, All India Council for Technical Education
(AICTE) and Secretary, Department of Secondary and
Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development
to examine various issues relating to the institutions
seeking status of ‘Deemed-to-be-University’. The three-
member Committee made the following recommendations to
the UGC:
(i) The existing guidelines requiring creation of
separate and dedicated trust or society for managing the
affairs of the ‘Deemed-to-be-Universities’ will continue
to be followed. The Commission would reserve the right
to give exemptions from such requirement after
satisfying itself of certain aspects like management of
the institutions, maintenance of separate financial
accounts, audit of accounts, transfer of assets to the
UGC in the event of winding up of the institution, etc.
The Commission should keep the interest of the student
community, as paramount.
(ii) The ‘Deemed-to-be-University’ would not need to
take prior permission for starting general courses i.e.
basic sciences, social sciences and humanities. Even in
the case of professional courses, the Committee
recommended that no prior approval of the UGC need be
required. The `Deemed-to-be-University’ would, however,
be required to maintain norms and standard laid down by
the respective professional Councils which would be open
to verification by the UGC and the relevant Council.
(iii) In the case of institutions to be included
under the ambit of existing ‘Deemed-to-be-University’,
the Committee reiterated the arrangement as explained in
para
(ii) above. However, in the interest of the
students, faculty, employees and the standard of
education some additional conditions need be imposed.
(iv) There may be no objection to the use of the word
‘university’ by the institutions of Deemed-to-be-
University. A distinction is to be made between the
public universities established by the executive charter
and the universities established by legislature, Central
or State.
UGC has since issued requisite notifications in
regard to the said recommendations.