Probe affairs of Mahatma Gandhi University: Mooshahary

Meghalaya Governor R.S. Mooshahary has directed the state government to probe the private Mahatma Gandhi University after complaints were received about its functioning.

His directive to the Congress-led Meghalaya United Alliance government assumes significance after another private varsity - the CMJ University - was allegedly selling fake PhD degrees.

"Though I am not the visitor of Mahatma Gandhi University, but I have received complaints regarding the functioning of this university. I have asked the government to look into these complaints," Mooshahary said in a chat with IANS.

However, the governor did not divulge on the complaints that he had received against the Mahatma Gandhi University.

The Mahatma Gandhi University was established through an act of the Meghalaya legislature in 2011.

Stating that the intention of the government to facilitate the setting up of private universities was done in good faith keeping in mind the welfare of the students, Mooshahary said there was a need to monitor the functioning of such universities.

"There should be autonomy is the academic pursuance of the university, but the administration should be monitored closely," he said.

"We need quality universities, not quantity. We should not go by numbers," the governor said.

Incidentally, the Delhi High Court on March this year had issued notice to a fashion institute, the Fashionista, which has technical collaboration with the Mahatma Gandhi University on a plea by a student alleging that it was running illegally and playing with the careers of innocent students.

The petition, filled by Mohammad Sajid, a student at the institute, alleged that the institute claimed that it has technical collaboration with the Meghalaya varsity, and is running various degree and diploma courses without approval or affiliation either from the University Grant Commission (UGC) or the Distance Education Council (DEC) or the Delhi government.