The Centre's decision to de-recognize 44 deemed universities across the country has exposed the inability of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the respective state governments to put in place an effective monitoring mechanism to review the performance of these institutions. Once an institution is given the status of a deemed university following the approval of the UGC and the issue of no objection certificate by the state government, there is no body or panel to regulate or monitor their activities.
“The absence of a regulatory or monitoring environment gives a free rein to such deemed universities to raise seat intake without a commensurate stepping up of infrastructure, introduce new programmes and offer courses through the distance education mode”, said Binod Dash, secretary, Orissa Private Engineering Colleges' Association (OPECA) All this is being done without the approval of the UGC, in blatant violation of the commission's norms, he added. More often than not, the UGC inspection panel wakes up to the stark realities only after the expiry of the period for which these institutions enjoy the status of deemed universities. To add to the woes, many state governments also play the role of mute spectators on this issue and pass the buck to the UGC.
Siksha O Anusandhan University, a city-based institution is among the 44 deemed universities which are going to be de-recognized. Sources said, this institution which was given the 'deemed to be university' status in 2006, had raised its intake to 1800 students as against its approved intake of 600.