Institutions in no hurry to bag pvt varsity tag

It looks like the promoters of professional colleges and deemed universities who wanted their institutions to be given the status of private universities have now developed cold feet.

A majority of the institutions now want to continue in their present status.

As many as 13 of the 20 institutions, including a few deemed universities, have not pursued their case at the government level, according to secretariat sources.

During the BJP regime, the government had enacted no less than 22 legislations, giving approval for the establishment of that many numbers of private universities.

But in the last one year, a majority of them have not taken steps to go ahead with their plans.

The first two private universities to be established in the State were - Azeem Premji University and Alliance University.

Sources said that on request by the applicant institutions, the Higher Education department will constitute a three-member committee to inspect the land availability and other infrastructure facilities.

The government sends a committee for inspection only on the request of the institutions.

After the enactment of the legislations in 2013, KLE Technological University, Hubli, M S Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bangalore, PES University, CMR University, Jain University and Reva University have been issued permission notification by the government.

Sources said that the institutions which have not followed up their applications with the government to get the status of private universities are: Arka, Adichunchanagiri, Amruta Sinchana, Devaraj Urs deemed university, Garden Group of Institutions, JSS, Manipal (Doddaballapur), New Baldwin, Rai Institution, Srinivas Group of Colleges, Sharana Basaveshwara, Vellore Institute of Technology and Vydehi Institute.

Professional colleges and deemed varsities rushed to the government to get private university tag from the State as the Centre had blacklisted 44 deemed universities, finding various loopholes, in 2009. They were facing a derecognition threat.

To avoid this, many institutions decided to get official recognition through legislation.

The Supreme Court had directed the government to take a fresh look at them, after taking advice from the University Grants Commission (UGC). The UGC is yet to submit its view to the court.

Meanwhile, a few unaided and minority institutions had approached the High Court of Karnataka, questioning the interference either by the UGC or the Centre in administrative matters.

The High Court, on May 22, upheld the contention of the institutions, while quashing the circular issued by the UGC in 2010-11, asking all existing deemed universities to comply with UGC regulations.

At present, deemed universities give 15 per cent of their total seats to the Centre, while private varsities in the State have to surrender 40 per cent of the seats.

Institutions have to possess a minimum of 25 acres of land to have a university in Bangalore and outside the city, the requirement is 40 acres.

Universities in the city should show a bank balance of Rs 25 crore to the government, while the sum fixed is Rs 15 crore outside the city.

The advantage for a private university is that unlike a deemed university, it can open constituent colleges anywhere in the State. But it can do so, only after five years of existence.

R L Jalappa, founder of Devaraj Urs deemed university in Kolar, said that he is no more interested in getting private university status for his institution.

“Land and deposit money are no issues. But we do not want to part with seats to the government. Also, we do not like restrictions on opening additional colleges or adding courses.”

K C Ramamurthy, promoter of CMR University, said deemed varsities have more freedom than private universities as they surrender lesser seats to the government.

Official sources said that till the apex court gives its final verdict on deemed varsities, institutions would not push for private university status.