63 varsities fail to get UGC nod

The University Grants Commission (UGC) is set to tighten the noose on private universities. It has turned down requests for accreditation from 63 of the 73 universities that approached it, and is now planning amend the law to set quality standards for university education and to stipulate the maximum fees that can be charged.

Only 10 universities have been shortlisted for accreditation by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) under the UGC.

Most of the universities denied accreditation are those that have been registered in Chattisgarh. A three-member committee under UGC Chairman Arun Nigavekar will issue the orders shortly.

Of the 15,000 colleges in the country, only 1,550 have been accredited by the NAAC, while 109 of 304 universities have been accredited. No private university has been approved by it.

UGC officials said amendments were being considered in the Higher Education Act to ensure quality in the education system in the country. It also proposes to impose a ceiling on the revenue cost per student in private universities.

The UGC set up the NAAC for evaluating the performance of universities and courses conducted by them. The office of the NAAC was established in Bangalore and the accreditation, at present, is done on a voluntary basis.

The NAAC's mandate includes the task of performance evaluation, assessment and accreditation of universities and colleges in the country.