New UGC rules to tighten control over pvt varsities

As per the proposed University Grants Commission regulations — accessed by The Indian Express through a Right to Information (RTI) application — all private universities may soon have to adhere to UGC regulations with regard to admissions, fees, service rules for teachers and reservation policies of the state or Centre. A final call on the UGC (Establishment and Maintenance of Standards in Private Universities) Regulations will be taken on January 6.

These will supersede the 2003 regulations that the Commission came out with after the sudden spurt in private universities in Chhattisgarh, and go beyond the older rules by specifying greater sway of UGC regulations on private varsities besides mandatory inspections by UGC expert committees. However, the new regulations also open the door to private universities to be established as national-level entities backed by Central Acts.

The regulations propose that the Centre/state government prescribe an appropriate minimum corpus fund, land and other infrastructural requirements for the establishment of a private university. A private university must also fulfill minimum criteria in terms of the programmes offered, faculty, infrastructural facilities, financial viability and other physical and infrastructural requirements, as outlined by the UGC and other statutory bodies like the AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education), Bar Council of India, Distance Education Council, Dental Council of India, Indian Nursing Council, National Council for Teacher Education and the Pharmacy Council

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