New Delhi: An expert committee might have
found 44 deemed universities "unworthy" for the status, but
the remaining 86 may not be in safe zone.
This is because the government seeks to bring in a new
regime which will require such institutions to go through
entry barriers to become universities or go back to the status
of colleges.
Under the proposed restructured regime of higher
education, the concept of deemed university could be a passe,
HRD Minister Kapil Sibal has already said.
The HRD Ministry has initiated the process for setting up
an overarching body in higher education. The proposed National
Commission for Higher Education and Research (NCHER) will do
away with the concept of deemed university.
The draft NCHER bill, which is under consideration of a
task force, prescribes entry barriers for such institutions to
become full-fledged universities.
The draft bill says that those deemed universities, which
fail to get through the entry barriers, will eventually become
colleges and will be affiliated to certain recognised
universities.
However, there will be safety net for the students already
enrolled in those deemed universities. The students of the
past years will be awarded degrees by the same deemed
university even after it loses the status, ministry sources
said.
The step of the HRD Ministry assumes significance in view
of the findings of P N Tandon committee which said 44 deemed
universities did not deserve the status.
The committee found 44 other such institutes having
deficiencies and suggested that they should be given three
years time to rectify. It found 38 others up to mark.
The committee on 'Renovation and Rejuvenation of Higher
Education', headed by Prof Yashpal, has said majority of these
institutes delude students and the status should be withdrawn
if they fail to fulfill the accreditation norms in three years.
It said such institutions are not established with
educational purpose.
The draft NCHER bill is under the consideration of the
task force, which will hold regional consultations in several
parts of the country with academicians and state governments.
There are 130 deemed universities of which about 60 came
up in the last five years. The deemed university status is
awarded under Section-3 of the UGC Act.
PTI
First Published: Friday, January 22, 2010, 23:54