Overhaul, don’t scrap, deemed university system
SETTING HIGHER GOALS: Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal:
To eliminate a time-tested policy without diagnosing the reason for its sickness will be counterproductive of achieving qualitative growth in higher education.
The intention of the Union Human Resource Development Minister to improve the quality of higher education is in the right direction. However, his recent announcement on the proposed National Commission for Higher Education and Research (NCHER) Bill to scrap the concept of deemed universities should be made applicable only to new institutions that aspire for this status. To apply the bill to the existing universities will mean hijacking a sound concept that has supported the growth of the higher education system. There are good deemed universities offering innovative degree programmes, engaging in quality research leading to publications, and providing high-quality teaching. The government’s role must be to identify and encourage such deemed universities and similar institutions by conferring the deemed university status. To eliminate a time-tested policy without diagnosing the reason for its sickness will be counterproductive of the main objective of achieving qualitative growth in higher education.
The Radhakrishnan Commission (1948-49) devoted a chapter in its report to deemed universities and said the government should consider a method of creating university charters similar to what obtains in many countries, where universities are set up not through acts of legislature but through charters granted by the head of the state. “This course may also be adopted in our country, at any rate, with regard to the new Universities, which are established by the conversion of existing Institutions.” Thus was born the concept of deemed university under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956.
It was in the best interest of higher education that the Commission encouraged the creation of deemed universities. It insisted on firsthand appraisal of competence, spirit and achievement and not on arbitrary rules and regulations during the time of conferment of the status. Between 1956 and 2004, 92 institutions were granted the deemed university status. Between 2004 and 2009 an additional 36 institutions, excluding NITs, were notified as deemed universities. This five-year-period saw an explosive growth (by 40 per cent) in their number.
The virus that spread during 2004-09 was in the manner the status was conferred — ignoring the conceptual purpose of deemed universities and the relevant provisions in the statutory bodies. Were not institutions that did not have adequate facilities, required faculty and were not engaged in research granted conditional deemed university status in the hope that they would make good the deficit after becoming university? Can a driver’s licence be issued conditionally, hoping that the licensee will learn to drive within one month? Off-campus centres and sister institutions run by a parent deemed university were brought within its ambit — a case of backdoor entry. It is undeniable that the ad hoc, arbitrary and non-transparent process between 2004-09 has damaged the system This is the right time to set right these anomalies and ensure that the deemed university system is put on the right track. But removing the very concept of deemed university as envisaged in the proposed bill will only perpetuate inefficiencies. The proposed bill will only put the system back in a closely regulated and regimental framework with little scope for innovation and academic independence. Just as there are bad deemed universities, there are equally bad government universities.Why should a good concept be messed up by the creators and then scrapped because it was messed up? Misuse and abuse of power (by some government and private participants) has rattled the boat. The government must steer the boat through troubled waters without destroying it. It is easy to destroy but difficult to create.
(The writer is Vice-Chancellor of SASTRA University, Thanjavur)
Comments:
Its a despicable act committed by the previous UPA dispensation purely out of political expediency.Of course,the executive at the beck and call of the HRD Ministry, and the UGC are also part and parcel in this tragic network.PIL should have been filed long back in the apex court dragging responsible agents to the dock for reversing unmatured educational policies with politial clout.After all, student community is used a laboratory to test the academic viability of such academic policies iniated by the political executive with the concurrence and cooperation of the over zealous and over obliging executive and the professionals as well.
Venkata Rama Surya Rao Duvvuri,Rajahmundry (AP)
Comments:
Comments:
I agree with the views of the VC. But there should be a method to monitor the overall functioning of the deemed universities by the public and by all academicians. UGC should periodically monitor all the deemed universities without any interference by any politicians. Each and every university advertisement should be approved by a committee constituted by academicians. Whenever deficiencies are pointed out, that should be immediately rectified and UGC should award grades for the deemed universities taking into account the number of publications in journals at the national and international level.
from: Dr.M.Sridharan
Posted on: Jan 27, 2010 at 10:06 IST At a time when we go for liberalisation and globalisation, it is essential to have deemed universities in India. This will help to bring innovation, creativeness in modern education system. Because some institutions are badly managed and not up to the mark, it is not correct to abolish the whole system of deemed university. Policy makers should seriously think before taking any hasty decision as it is involved with thousands of students' life as well as India's great dream of achieving high quality higer education.
from: K.R.Ganesh Bapu
Posted on: Jan 27, 2010 at 13:41 IST hello, May be your decision is right but what about our future........ we paid lakhs to get seat in such universities
from: gk
Posted on: Jan 27, 2010 at 16:14 IST Its a despicable act committed by the previous UPA dispensation purely out of political expediency.Of course,the executive at the beck and call of the HRD Ministry, and the UGC are also part and parcel in this tragic network.PIL should have been filed long back in the apex court dragging responsible agents to the dock for reversing unmatured educational policies with politial clout.After all, student community is used a laboratory to test the academic viability of such academic policies iniated by the political executive with the concurrence and cooperation of the over zealous and over obliging executive and the professionals as well.
Venkata Rama Surya Rao Duvvuri,Rajahmundry (AP)
from: DVR.Surya Rao
Posted on: Jan 28, 2010 at 10:01 IST Basic problem is the misconcepts about deemed universities by the UGC authorities who failed in awarding and monitoring compliance of norms by these entities.Deemed University ststus is expected only for unfettered academic growth in the speciality area identified for the concerned institute, and not for taking over multiple disciplines and faculties for commercial viability and business development as done by these deemed institutions, who whent to establishing their offcampus unauthorised franchisee shops violating the jurisdiction. This was facilitated by DEC which went to the extend of approving professional courses run by these organisations, where as its own parent organisation IGNOU itself needs National Statutory Agency's permission to run professional courses. Institute started for Journalism acquires deemed University status and starts engineering colleges and runs franchisee centres all over the country running IT programmes and even B.Tech programmes. Their UGC approvals indicate no approved Off campus. National statutory bodies declare that no admissions to be made in any study centres or even approved off campus as they are intended only for counselling.Number of consumer court cases speaks for the extend of damage done by these deemed university mafia and it is high time some thing drastic is done to stop these exploitation. Deemed university status is not for starting series of affiliated/recognised institutions violating all norms of jurisdiction as if they are doing every thing legally.
from: Prof.G.Jayasankar
Posted on: Jan 29, 2010 at 15:39 IST The concept of deemed universities is good. But as far as India is concerned most of them are money making ventures as illustrated by gk's comment above; Who is worried about the lakhs he and many others paid for a seat?
from: Guptan Veemboor
Posted on: Jan 30, 2010 at 12:21 IST The concept of deemed university is not bad, but it has been implemented badly. That is the problem with India, we have good laws, laws for betterment, but the result is the bureaucracy which fails to implement that or badly implement them. If some of the deemed universities are providing better education than the govt colleges what is the harm in that... The question is why are the state universities are out of bound of this review. Has anyone heard that a state university has been de-recognised??
from: Akram Raja
Posted on: Jan 31, 2010 at 12:30 IST Please try to create awareness among students who are seeking admission in deemed universities. I am one among the affected students and has been admitted in one of the worst deemed universities through one agent.I scored 90% mark in +2, but I was not aware about the deemed university system. As I am from a middle class family my mom amd dad are not well educated. I am sure I am not going to get a reply from you but I hope you will consider my request. It's really a pity the students like me are trapped every year by the dirty agents from the universities as well as private agencies.
from: Musheer
Posted on: Feb 26, 2010 at 22:40 IST Govt universities are useless...so we opt for better facilities and good private universities.
from: jakky
Posted on: Mar 8, 2010 at 15:51 IST The so called " Deemed Universitites" appoint below average faculties to save money. They enroll students from all over India and the standards of their many of the faculties are below average and many do not speak "English" language for teaching students from all over India.
Goverment should implement minimum qualifications and experience for Faculties without delay.
Goverment should implement minimum qualifications and experience for Faculties without delay.
from: Thomas. K
Posted on: Mar 8, 2010 at 16:24 IST I am a retired person without a pension income. I admitted my son in a Deemed University spending lakhs of rupees for the first year with the hope that my son will get education loan from a bank for the remaining period of the course. Everything was ready but at the time of disbursement of the loan the Bank has denied as they have been instructed not to allow any loan to deemed university students. Now I am at a loss and not able to find the way of arranging for money for payment of the second year fees due by middle of March,2010. My request to the Hon'ble Minister that the fee structure of these deemed universities be reviewed whether it is justified. The Campus interview facility for placement also to be taken into consideration for reviewing the status.
from: S.Chakrabarty
Posted on: Mar 8, 2010 at 23:03 IST IGNOU univeristies have collaborated with many private institutes where the mode of conduct of studying was pretty bad. Who takes the responsibility of governing such private institutes undertaken by IGNOU.After studying 2 years under IGNOU in one of pvt institutes I was forced to join one of these deemed universities where I found the course and methodolgy adopted were more satisfying than that of IGNOU.
from: Anil
Posted on: Mar 11, 2010 at 08:04 IST The whole idea of "deemed" universities is to obtain excellence in terms of higher education and research and not just churn out software coolies,as is the case in numerous such institutions. In India, research is losing sheen, as more and more students opt to do their research abroad. Govt should consider revamping the entire universities in order to sensitise students to the need of research in India. As a deemed university passout it makes me sad to see that the government has let things slip out of hand by offering the status first and then checking. Vigilance is very essential, since this issue involves the careers and futures of millions of students studying in such institutions!
from: Harish
Posted on: Mar 14, 2010 at 13:05 IST Is there anybody? who can tell what is the current status regarding this issue?
from: sujan
Posted on: Mar 17, 2010 at 12:07 IST I fully agree that deemed universities should exiist in india to give pppotunity to maximum students pursuing higher studies with checks and balances. Studying under govt universities also needs the same checks to avoid large number of students resorting to tutions from highly paid instructors.
from: S. PATNAIK
Posted on: Mar 25, 2010 at 11:47 IST 
