UGC seeks more time from SC to submit report on varsities

With the July 31 deadline closing in, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has decided to seek more time from the Supreme Court to submit the report of its panel on the reassessment of 41 deemed-to-be varsities that are facing derecognition.

In a meeting on Tuesday, the higher education regulator decided to request a two-month extension to submit its stand to the Human Resource Development Ministry on the fate of these varsities.

The special four-member committee, headed by UGC Vice-Chairman H Devaraj, decided that it needed more time to come to a conclusion on the final report. It has already completed hearing the current status of all the 41 universities in question.

“The committee is now in the process of preparing its recommendations. It needs some more time to complete its report,” official sources from the commission said.

A few months ago, the apex court had, after hearing a petition in connection with the issue, directed the higher education regulator to give its advice on the present status of the institutions in question to the Human Resource Development Ministry before July 31.

The panel was tasked to reassess the fitness of the 41 varsities in terms of available physical and academic infrastructure, as well as academic performance and research output. According to sources, its proceedings were videotaped to maintain transparency.

In 2009, a committee of experts had recommended de-recognition of these varsities after finding them unfit for the deemed-to-be university tag.