New Delhi: A government panel reviewing
functioning of deemed universities has found some institutions
running distance mode courses without approval and has
recommended discontinuation of such programmes and initiation
of legal action against these errant institutions.
The committee, which was asked by the HRD Ministry to
suggest action plan for implementation of its recommendations
on the deemed universities, has suggested that those
institutions, which were running courses without approval of
the appropriate bodies, be proceeded against.
According to norms, an institute need to take prior
approval of Distance Education Council, All India Council of
Technical Education and University Grants Commission for
offering courses in distant mode.
Distance education programmes are run by many deemed
universities, enrolling thousands of students. Many of the
distance education programmes do not have approval of these
regulatory bodies.
"If the courses are run without the approval of
appropriate Regulatory Authorities, the concerned deemed
university should be proceeded against under the relevant laws
for misleading students and harming their interests," the task
force, headed by P N Tandon, said.
"All those courses in the distance mode which do not
comply with the requirements of the tripartite agreement
between UGC, AICTE and DEC must be discontinued forthwith,"
the task force said.
-PTI
First Published: Saturday, March 13, 2010, 00:18