SC for physical verification of deemed universities

The Supreme Court today directed the University Grant Commission (UGC) to conduct physical verification of infrastructure and faculty strength of deemed universities, which were black-listed by Tandon Committee.
A bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and Vikramajit Sen ruled out the suggestion of verification through photographs and videography, saying it was not an acceptable mode of determining the credentials.
"Inspection means physical verification and that is our perception. If any defect is found, you (UGC) must tell them and give reasonable time to rectify," the bench said.
The bench asked the UGC to complete within three months the physical verification of 41 deemed universities.

It said after completing the procedure of verification and rectification of deficiencies, the UGC will file its report both to the Centre and the apex court.
The Supreme Court had earlier this year directed the UGC to examine all the reports of the 41 deemed to be universities and advise the central government.

These universities had gone to the Supreme Court after they were put in the 'C' category in 2009 by P N Tandon Committee.
Tandon was a retired professor from prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
After the Supreme Court's direction, UGC had set up a committee under vice chairperson of UGC H Devaraj, which heard all the 41 deemed universities separately.

A decision to issue show cause notice was taken for seven such deficient deemed universities by the Centre as to why they should not be denotified but later it was left to the apex court.
Earlier, it was 44 deemed universities which were found to be unfit for the status by Tandon committee. However, the number came down to 41 after two of them surrendered the deemed varsity tax, while the third one was converted into centre of national importance.