Restructuring Deemed Universities

 

2/5/2014

Restr uctur i ng deemed uni ver si ties

Published on mydigitalfc.com  (http://www.mydigitalfc.com)

Restructur Restru cturing ing deemed un universitie iversities s Feb 04 2014 universities are in discussion Deemed universities are di scussion once agai again. n. Th They ey became a po point int of disput disp ute e ever since they got de nova (or independent) status for accommodating information and communications technology (ICT) and computer education in the higher education domain in 1985. In the late 80s, ICT industries industries were grooming and also more freedo freedom m and liberty w was as g given iven to indu industries stries in production, which enhanced demand for engineering education. Simultaneously, management education brought brought in a new stream altogeth altogether. er. A parallel chan change ge happened iin n medical e education ducation as well. Neither the State Government Public University Act nor the Central University Act could match the growing demand in computer science and technology, management, engineering and medical education. First, academic infrastructure could not match the demand pressure and secondly, both the state and central governments were locked with the general growth in education, which quenched their  financial support in emerging ICT and other subjects. State governments, initially in Karnataka and then in Tamil Nadu and Andh and Andhra ra Pradesh, Pradesh, brought brought in the idea of self-finan self-financing cing di disci sciplineplineoriented colleges affiliated to public un universitie iversities. s. Howev However, er, th those ose who were the creators of first generation ‘self financing’ institu i nstitutions tions immedi immediately ately rrealise ealised d the high deman demands ds of p parents arents an and d more freedom through deemed structures, and quickly switched over to a ‘free and no-link’ structur stru cture. e. By the second de decade cade of the 21st ce cent ntur ury, y, deemed un universitie iversities s be became came the most profitable ‘education industry’ and by 2008, their number grew to 130. They were low quality product producers and there there was a di discreet screet flow of money amongst th the e sp sponsoring onsoring members. This Th is is how tthe he politica politicall entities b became ecame the masters of the higher education sphere. The central government realised the misery of students and parents just a decade ago and  in October 2009. 2009. Th This is committee examined all 126 deemed appointed the Tandon Committee Committee in universiti un iversities es iin n th the e count country ry an and d classi classified fied them them iint nto o three categori categories es — A, B and C. Universities that fell under category A got full clearance, while those under category B B were  were given five years C were  were asked to wind u up p their  to improv i mprove e their pe performan rformance ce a and nd th the e 44 un universitie iversities s in i n category C status alleging that apart from low level performance in delivery of education, they were being run as family fiefdoms rath rather er than on academic considerati considerations. ons. Th The e mi ministry nistry of hu human man resour resource ce developmentt (MHR developmen (MHRD) D) also took a deci decisio sion n to av avoid oid jeopardis jeopardising ing the fu futu ture re of nearly two lakh students studen ts enroll enrolled ed iin n th these ese un universitie iversities s sp spread read o over ver 13 states by allowin allowing g these un universiti iversities es to revertt back a rever as s affilia affiliated ted colleges o off origi original nal un universitie iversities. s. As e expected, xpected, th these ese univ universiti ersities es went to the Supreme Court Court claiming  claiming that they had been harassed for no reason. The Un The University iversity Grants Grants C ommission Commissi  (UGC), in parallel, hadon had be become come ac active tive wh while ile all this ‘‘drama’ drama’ between the MHRD MHRD and  and deemedon (UGC), un universiti iversities es was goi going ng on. . Th They ey appoi appoint nted ed expert committees to study each of the deemed dee med univ university ersity in terms of their ac academi ademic, c, iinf nfrastru rastructur cture ea and nd finan financia ciall aspects. It iis s very interesting to note that many of those 4 44 4 univ universiti ersities es had scored very high http://www.mydi g i tal fc.com/pr int/156945

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2/5/2014

Restr uctur i ng deemed uni ver si ties

grades in UGC’ UGC’s s rep report. ort. Th This is allowed sponsoring ag agencies encies to furt further her stren strengthen gthen ttheir heir argumen argumentt of injustice injustice to the Supreme Court. T The he UG UGC Cs soon oon issued g guidelines uidelines for creatio creation n an and d ope operation ration of  deemed un universiti iversities es too. Apart from various asp aspects ects that were the focus of the Tandon Tandon Committee, Commi ttee, UGC’s g guidelines uidelines also mad made e it i t clear that a sponsoring auth authority ority member cann cannot ot become either a chan chancellor cellor or vice chan chancellor. cellor. Th They ey desi desired red that the deemed un universiti iversities es tru truly ly become academic entities. The MHRD appointed one more committee comprising the members of the Tandon Committee and four independent experts experts to look iint nto o all the iss issues ues th that at have emerged through the various Supreme Court orders and recommendations of the UGC committee. Today, the struggle of deemed universities is still on when one studies the judicial and executive proceedings proceedi ngs in th the e battle between deemed un universitie iversities s and the T Tandon andon Committee as well as the special committee of MHRD and UGC’s 2010 guidelines. Indi dia a to constitu c onstitute te the Tan Tandon don Commi Committee ttee iis s the central issue that is The power of the Union of In intensely inten sely litigated in th the eS Supr upreme eme C Court ourt.. Ever since this ca case se was tagged with Vipa Vipalav lav Sh Sharma arma versus versu s Union of In India dia (142 o off 2006 2006)) durin during g 20 2009, 09, 24 interim orders hav have e be been en delivered by the Supreme Cour Co urt. t. Recentl Recently, y, it reserved a verdict on a b batch atch of peti petitions tions on regulat regulation ion of d deemed eemed universiti un iversities es and iindicated ndicated that it would ask the UGC to reass reassess ess the standard of education educatio n in th the e 44 deemed de emed un universitie iversities s which were sough soughtt to be de-recognised on th the e bas basis is of the T Tandon andon Committee’s Commi ttee’s report. Th The eS Suprem upreme eC Court ourt also directed th the e ce cent ntre re to put on th the e int i ntern ernet et the recommendations of the Tandon Tandon Commi Committee ttee and the task force on th the e ba basis sis of which th the e government govern ment h had ad d decid ecided ed to de-recognise the the 44 deemed un universiti iversities es iin n th the e co coun untry try.. The Th e 15 15-y -year ear liti litigation gation pro cess in the vital higher education domain will continue. In all these   years, all deemed universities must have cha nged nged and a nd they wou would ld co continu ntinue e to change. The Supreme Co urt urt has given a great opportunity to UGC whose power to conduct a review flows from its parent Act. It must take clues from the court’s exercise about its statutory duty and review all the the dee deemed med un universitie iversities s and saniti sanitise se the system. IItt ju just st has 120 days to do th this is task to g glorify lorify its authority. [email protected] (The writer is former chairman of UGC, former vice-chancellor of University of Pune and  founder director of NAAC) © 2011 201 1 Fi Finan nancia ciall Chron Chronicle, icle, A Allll rrights ights reserved Source URL: 

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