DCW writes to UGC, seeks information on Virender Dev Dixit's institute

DCW chief said strict action should be taken against the management of the institute for wrongly claiming it to be a university.

New Delhi: The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), which had last month rescued several women and girls from different centres of the Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidyalaya, run by self-styled godman Virender Dev Dixit, has sought to know from the University Grants Commission (UGC) if the institute was recognised by the regulatory body.

It also sought to know if the UGC had received any complaint or representation regarding the operations of the institute, along with the details of action taken on such complaints.

If not recognised, the women's panel sought to know what action would be taken by the UGC against the institute for using the word "vishwa vidyalaya" (university) in its name, thereby misleading the people.

"It has been learnt that the said 'vishwa vidyalaya' at Vijay Vihar and at other places across India has been functioning with the title of Spiritual God Fatherly University for decades.

"Hundreds of young girls and women have been enrolled as residential students of this institute at several centres across the country," DCW chief Swati Maliwal said in a letter written to the UGC.

She strongly recommended that if the institute was not a university, it should be barred from using the word "university" in its name.

Maliwal also said strict action should be taken against the management of the institute for wrongly claiming it to be a university.

"Considering the gravity of the matter, you are requested to please provide the above-mentioned information latest by January 12," the DCW chief said in her letter.