HRD Ministry set to award eminence tag to Airtel's Bharti University

The HRD Ministry is set to award the Institution of Eminence (IoE) status to Airtel's Bharti University, after Reliance Group's yet-to-be established Jio Institute was given the tag.

The University Grants Commission (UGC), in a meeting on Friday, recommended Satya Bharti Foundation's Bharti University's name for granting of the status under the greenfield institution (yet-to-be established) category.

Bharti Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Bharti Enterprises, which runs telecom company Airtel, besides insurance company.

"In the greenfield category (institutions which are yet to be established) Bharti institute of Satya Bharti Foundation has been recommended. The greenfield institutions would get three-year period to establish and operationalise the institution, and thereafter, EEC (Empowered Expert Committee) will consider giving IoE status to such institution," a senior HRD Ministry official said.

The ministry had last year granted the tag to Jio Institute sparking a row with stakeholders criticising the move as a favour to coroporates.

Following the controversy, the HRD Ministry had clarified that the institutions in the category will only get a "Letter of Intent" for now and their applications have been evaluated on basis of their proposals outlining availability of land, putting in place a core team with qualification and experience, making funding available for setting up the institution and a strategic action plan with annual milestones.