Deemed universities: diagnose the malaise
Vivek Shukla,
Deemed universities: diagnose the malaise
New Delhi: The mood among students of deemed universities studying across the length and breadth of country is gloomy and uncertain. It goes without saying that they are affected by the recent decision taken by the HRD Ministry. It has derecognise 44 deemed universities.
Reason: Damaging Tandon Committee report.The Supreme Court stayed the cancellation of licenses for these deemed universities.Giving relief to them, the apex court issued the stay on January 25, granting time for hearing the views of students and managements of the concerned universities.The apex court assured that the future of two lakh students in 44 deemed universities will be safeguarded.
The question is that why is our HRD Minister, Kapil Sibal is in tearing hurry? His statements on this matter show some other story. Is it pre cursor to open the doors for foreign institutes in India?
All deemed universities will 'finally go': Sibal
The concept of deemed universities will be abolished in India, Mr. Sibal said on 19 Feb 2010 , a day after the government moved an affidavit in the Supreme Court seeking derecognition of 44 such institutions. He told reporters at the 10th Editor's Conference on social sector issues that it is a policy decision that all the deemed universities will finally go.
On 4 March 2010 at the Emerging Directions in Global Education (EDGE) summit 2010 in New Delhi, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said a bill to facilitate foreign educational institutions to operate in India is ready and would be placed before the Cabinet any time. All the discussions over the Foreign Education Providers Bill are over. The bill is ready to go to the Cabinet any day.
These are some of his recent statements. But read between the lines of Sibal’s statements. He is not consistent. On the one hand, he wants to abolish the concept of deemed universities. And in a same breath, he wants to open the door for Foreign educational institutions in India. What does it mean? If according to Tandon committee some deemed universities are not giving quality education, then what is the guarantee that the proposed entry of Foreign educational institutions would give quality education.
It is no secret that there are umpteen number of universities in Britain, Australia and America making fool of thousand of Indian students. In the back drop of this fact, what is the guarantee that the foreign universities would provide very good education to our youngsters?
Centre had constituted the UGC committee and the Tandon committee to look into the functioning of the deemed universities. Mr Sibal ordered the UGC to take up a review of the functioning of all the ‘deemed-to-be’ universities and give a report in the next three months. He also formed Tandon committee on whose report current situation arises.
It is alleged by representatives of various deemed universities that members of the Tandon Committee were making contradictory statements.They said the Tandon Committee has four members.
They pointed out that Goverdhan Mehta, the chairman of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), had earlier granted A and B grades to these deemed universities, regarding their quality.
Prakash Tandon, who had earlier headed many committees, approved these universities. But after being a part of the Tandon Committee, they (Mehta and Tandon) have derecognised the same universities they had approved earlier. They also said that after the universities were blacklisted, the HRD Ministry has not communicated with any of these derecognised Universities.
It is also said while the UGC committee had teams of specialists visiting the institutions, the Tandon panel relied only on short presentations made by the universities. The UGC committee, after assessing the institutes, had sent detailed recommendations to them pointing out their strengths and weaknesses. The Tandon committee did not communicate its assessment to the universities.
In the first 10 years after the enactment of the UGC Act, eight institutions were notified as deemed universities. In the Seventies, the UGC decided that notification under Section 3 should be made only rarely in special cases and three institutions were conferred the deemed university status.
There was a slight shift in the policy in the Eighties and 18 more institutions were added under Section 3.Between 1956 and 1990, in 35 years, only 29 institutions were granted the deemed university status. In the last 15 years, 63 institutions were declared deemed universities and particularly in the last 5 years, 36 institutions excluding RECs have been notified as deemed universities. Over 200 applications are pending with the UGC.
No doubt Deemed universities are formed under the provisions of UGC, HRD Ministry, Govt. of India. Above figures shows that deemed universities are not found in a day or in hurry.They fulfilled the norms and got notified. There are provisions to check and watch.
There are norms to disqualify or to give alert notice or to give chance for improvement. Were these norms followed? If any irregularity against any deemed university was ignored then who is responsible?
Only deemed universities or our system, too? Then what steps have been taken to rectify the system or do the responsible persons or authorities on such cases get any punishment? If answer is NO, then why? Who is responsible for this? UGC, authorities of HRD Ministry or anyone else?
Then why should affected deemed universities and more than two lacks students suffer? Recent step of HRD Minister is ignoring such facts on deemed universities, why? It can not be ruled out that there are some deficiencies in some institutions. But, the universities had discussions among themselves and agreed to share their resources. Time has been given to take necessary measures for their improvement. It is better to improve the system and diagnose the reason for its sickness.
Reason: Damaging Tandon Committee report.The Supreme Court stayed the cancellation of licenses for these deemed universities.Giving relief to them, the apex court issued the stay on January 25, granting time for hearing the views of students and managements of the concerned universities.The apex court assured that the future of two lakh students in 44 deemed universities will be safeguarded.
The question is that why is our HRD Minister, Kapil Sibal is in tearing hurry? His statements on this matter show some other story. Is it pre cursor to open the doors for foreign institutes in India?
All deemed universities will 'finally go': Sibal
The concept of deemed universities will be abolished in India, Mr. Sibal said on 19 Feb 2010 , a day after the government moved an affidavit in the Supreme Court seeking derecognition of 44 such institutions. He told reporters at the 10th Editor's Conference on social sector issues that it is a policy decision that all the deemed universities will finally go.
On 4 March 2010 at the Emerging Directions in Global Education (EDGE) summit 2010 in New Delhi, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said a bill to facilitate foreign educational institutions to operate in India is ready and would be placed before the Cabinet any time. All the discussions over the Foreign Education Providers Bill are over. The bill is ready to go to the Cabinet any day.
These are some of his recent statements. But read between the lines of Sibal’s statements. He is not consistent. On the one hand, he wants to abolish the concept of deemed universities. And in a same breath, he wants to open the door for Foreign educational institutions in India. What does it mean? If according to Tandon committee some deemed universities are not giving quality education, then what is the guarantee that the proposed entry of Foreign educational institutions would give quality education.
It is no secret that there are umpteen number of universities in Britain, Australia and America making fool of thousand of Indian students. In the back drop of this fact, what is the guarantee that the foreign universities would provide very good education to our youngsters?
Centre had constituted the UGC committee and the Tandon committee to look into the functioning of the deemed universities. Mr Sibal ordered the UGC to take up a review of the functioning of all the ‘deemed-to-be’ universities and give a report in the next three months. He also formed Tandon committee on whose report current situation arises.
It is alleged by representatives of various deemed universities that members of the Tandon Committee were making contradictory statements.They said the Tandon Committee has four members.
They pointed out that Goverdhan Mehta, the chairman of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), had earlier granted A and B grades to these deemed universities, regarding their quality.
Prakash Tandon, who had earlier headed many committees, approved these universities. But after being a part of the Tandon Committee, they (Mehta and Tandon) have derecognised the same universities they had approved earlier. They also said that after the universities were blacklisted, the HRD Ministry has not communicated with any of these derecognised Universities.
It is also said while the UGC committee had teams of specialists visiting the institutions, the Tandon panel relied only on short presentations made by the universities. The UGC committee, after assessing the institutes, had sent detailed recommendations to them pointing out their strengths and weaknesses. The Tandon committee did not communicate its assessment to the universities.
In the first 10 years after the enactment of the UGC Act, eight institutions were notified as deemed universities. In the Seventies, the UGC decided that notification under Section 3 should be made only rarely in special cases and three institutions were conferred the deemed university status.
There was a slight shift in the policy in the Eighties and 18 more institutions were added under Section 3.Between 1956 and 1990, in 35 years, only 29 institutions were granted the deemed university status. In the last 15 years, 63 institutions were declared deemed universities and particularly in the last 5 years, 36 institutions excluding RECs have been notified as deemed universities. Over 200 applications are pending with the UGC.
No doubt Deemed universities are formed under the provisions of UGC, HRD Ministry, Govt. of India. Above figures shows that deemed universities are not found in a day or in hurry.They fulfilled the norms and got notified. There are provisions to check and watch.
There are norms to disqualify or to give alert notice or to give chance for improvement. Were these norms followed? If any irregularity against any deemed university was ignored then who is responsible?
Only deemed universities or our system, too? Then what steps have been taken to rectify the system or do the responsible persons or authorities on such cases get any punishment? If answer is NO, then why? Who is responsible for this? UGC, authorities of HRD Ministry or anyone else?
Then why should affected deemed universities and more than two lacks students suffer? Recent step of HRD Minister is ignoring such facts on deemed universities, why? It can not be ruled out that there are some deficiencies in some institutions. But, the universities had discussions among themselves and agreed to share their resources. Time has been given to take necessary measures for their improvement. It is better to improve the system and diagnose the reason for its sickness.
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