India to de-recognize 44 'deemed' universities, 200,000 students future at stake

New Delhi — The Indian government has told the country's Supreme Court that it planned to de-recognize and close 44 “deemed” universities across the country which were no more than a money-making enterprises without dishing out quality education and in the process putting the future of nearly 200,000 students enrolled in these institutions at stake.

Of the about to be closed “universities” include one promoted by a junior federal minister and three government-sponsored ones.

Among the derecognized varsities include those that taught medicine, science and technology, information technology, engineering and education.

Most of these “varsities” were found to be deficient on many counts including lack of infrastructure to not having evidence of expertise in disciplines they claim to specialize in, undesirable management architecture of families that ran them instead of professionals and engaged in “thoughtless introduction of unrelated programs and proliferation of degrees”..

There are 130 “deemed” universities in the country and most of them were set up after 2004.

An expert review panel under the aegis of Professor P.N. Tandon was set by the federal Human Resource and Development Ministry to go into the working of these “varsities”.

The government called a meeting of these organizations last August-September for an “face-to-face discussions”. Of the 130 invited, 126 attended.

The committee report divided the 126 institutions into three categories. Of these, the top category of 38 institutions were found to justify their status as deemed universities based on their achievements, performance and potential.

Another 44 were found to be deficient in some aspects which needed to be rectified over a three-year period.

The panel said the last category of 44 institutions was “neither on past performance nor on their promise for the future” can retain their status as deemed to be universities.

Among the institutions recommended for derecognition have 119,363 students at the under-graduate and post-graduate levels in addition to 2,124 pursuing research in M.Phil and PhD programs. An estimated 74,808 pursue distance education programs.

The southern Tamil Nadu state tops the list with 16 derecognition, including one sponsored by the government. Karnataka state follows with six, northern Uttar Pradesh state with four.

The government has said that the affected students would be taken care of. The ministry's task force has recommended that institutions not found fit for deemed university status "revert to status quo ante as an affiliated college of the state university of jurisdiction so that students would be able to complete their ongoing courses and obtain degree from the affiliating university."

Similarly, medical and dental colleges not found suitable can affiliate to state university or state medical university.

In case, the institution is unable to obtain affiliation, efforts would be made to facilitate the migration/re-enrollment of the affected students in other institutions. Doctoral students will have to re-register in affiliating universities and those in distance education should either go to New Delhi-based Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) or state open universities.

While these safeguards have been recommended, the students are nonetheless likely to go through a phase of uncertainty as they move from one university to another.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/304782,india-to-de-recognize-44-deemed-universities-200000-students-future-at-stake.html.