Deemed univ issue: Ball in SC's court, says Sibal

Government today said it has accepted the recommendations of an expert committee, which has found 44 deemed universities unfit for the status but left it to the Supreme Court for appropriate course of action against them.

"The government has accepted the findings of the expert committee formed to review the functioning of the deemed universities and submitted its findings to the Supreme Court, which will decide the course of action to be taken," HRD Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters.

He said no deemed university has been derecognised so far.

"The Supreme Court will decide the course of action...We will take care of all the students (of the deemed universities). Not a single student will be adversely affected. Student of deemed universities will get a university degree," he said.

An expert committee headed by P N Tandon has reviewed the functioning of 126 of the 130 deemed universities. It has found 44 deemed universities unworthy for the status.

Asked whether the unfit 44 deemed universities would be reverted back to the status of college, he said, "I do not want to preempt what the Supreme Court will decide."

The matter will come before the Supreme Court on January 25.

"Not a single student's interest will be jeopardised. University degree will be given to them," he said, allaying any fear among the students and their parents.

The committee has found the failed deemed universities were being run as family fiefdoms rather than on academic considerations. 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 as up to mark.

The government had set up a task force to suggest measures for implementing the recommendations of the committee. The task force said the failed deemed universities would be allowed to go back as affiliated colleges of their original universities.

Sibal said the government has started the process of reforms in higher education. Under the reforms, it will create a National Council for Higher Education as an overarching body which will subsume existing regulatory institutions like UGC, AICTE, DEC and NCTE.

Under the new regime in higher education, the concept of deemed university could be abolished.

Sibal outlined the proposed bills for setting up of an accreditation body and having special tribunals for deciding matters related to disputes in campuses and having a law to check malpractices in institutes.

He said the country needs 30,000 to 40,000 more colleges and nearly 1,000 universities to achieve the target of 30 per cent enrolment rate in higher education by 2030. The present enrolment rate is 12.4 per cent.

Sibal harped on reforms of education at school level to ensure that education becomes child centric.

"The reforms will focus on making the education child centric. The child should be able to study as per his liking. The contents need change. Children should get high moral value," he said.

Sibal said the exam should test the real talent of the student rather than testing the memorising abilities.

Sibal said the focus of the universities should be centres of research rather than affiliating institutions. "Research creates knowledge," he said.

He said the government wants to introduce a series of vocational courses at senior secondary level to help students pursue their courses of choice.

Asked about the exorbitant fees changed by institutes, he said the government is in the process of expanding the higher education sector in bag way.

"Certain institute charge high fees because of the gap between demand and supply. We have started expanding the higher education sector which will take care of the problem of demand and supply. The government will set up a funding corporation for providing loans to needy students," he said.

The results of the reforms will be felt in next three to four years, Sibal said.

"Never in the history of the country, the focus on education has been so sharp," he added.