Stiff norms may govern pvt varsities

The State Cabinet has cleared the establishment of three more private universities. At least, three more established educational institutions have put their proposal before the government seeking permission to establish private varsities. 

The State already has two private universities.

The Cabinet recently approved the proposals of M S Ramaiah Group, Manipal Academy of Higher Education and Jain Group for opening private universities. 

Azim Premji University and Alliance University are already a reality in Bangalore. 

Interestingly, those varsities which are in the pipeline are also going to be in or around Bangalore, while there is a dearth of good colleges and universities in tier-II and tier-III cities. 

Cabinet clears proposal

On Saturday, the State Cabinet cleared the proposal of Vellore Institute of Technology to open a private university in Bangalore, while a draft bill pertaining to M S Ramaiah University was cleared.  

Amrita Education Group, Sri Devaraj Urs Educational Trust and Dayanand Sagar Institutions are among those who have submitted applications seeking permission to open private universities, according to H Siddaiah, Principal Secretary, Higher Education Department. 

As per the University Grants Commission, a private university has to be set up through an act of legislation, and the same has been followed in the case of the Azim Premji and Alliance universities. 

But the government allowed the private universities to come up and has been giving approvals for more, even when it has no policy as such towards private university. There was also hardly any debate in the legislature as to why these universities should be allowed to come up. 

However, the process of evolving a policy to govern the eligibility and procedure to submit a proposal for establishing a private university in the State has now begun. 

Draft rules

The State Higher Education Council has come out with a draft rules document, which is yet to go before the executive committee of the council.

The council has also prepared a draft Act which can serve as a blueprint for preparing legislations for each private university.

Council executive director Prof K M Kaveriappa said there should be a set of rules for becoming eligible to seek permission to open a private university so that there will be no provision for ad hoc decisions. Also, certain standards could be set for educational institutions to become eligible.

A body which sponsors a private varsity should own not less than 10 to 15 acres in urban area and not less than 25 acres in the rural sector, where it proposes to establish the university. 

If the sponsoring body already has established institutions in an area not less than 10 to 15 acres, it can apply. 

But there could be some relaxation in minimum land possession in exceptional cases. 
The draft rules say that while following the UGC guidelines to submit the form, they should pay fees to the Higher Education Council which is non-returnable. 

The project proposal should be explained as per the prescribed 12 heads. The title of ownership of the land owned by the sponsors and the master plan of the existing and proposed buildings should be submitted. 

It should establish its financial credentials, including possession of sufficient funds, and create a permanent statutory endowment fund. 

The proposal of the sponsoring body should be put before a search committee which has members nominated by the Higher Education Council and a nominee of the UGC or Vice-Chancellor of a central university. 

The search committee after physical verification of the university site, if satisfied, will advise the government to consider the proposal. 

If the proposal is rejected, it will not be eligible to apply for the next one year. In the model draft Act too, the Council has stipulated that a private university will have to comply with the norms of not only the University Grants Commission, but also of various statutory bodies. The admissions and fees should also be in accordance with UGC rules.  

Why uniformity?

To a question as to why all private universities, like the State universities, should be modeled on a single Act, Kaveriappa said, “Each private university will function in a different way, because they are created through a separate Act. The draft bill will only serve as a blueprint as to how the bills should be.”

Former vice-chancellor of the Bangalore University, M S Thimmappa, said it was unfortunate that so far private universities had been allowed to come up, without a policy. 

“There should be least government interference in private universities. When autonomy comes, responsibility comes automatically. 

“But there should be transparency in the management of universities. If the government controls private varsities too much, they too will end up like many state universities which are in the news for the wrong reasons,” he said.