Govt-run deemed varsities can have more campuses

The government-run deemed universities can now to open any number of “off campuses” within the country, but the existing cap of opening a six off campuses would remain in place for private enterprises.

A recommendation of the University Grants Commission (UGC) to this effect was approved by the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry on Friday.

“The proposal has been approved,” official sources in the UGC told Deccan Herald.

This comes months after the UGC issued notices to 10 deemed to be universities including Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and the Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), asking them to close down their off campuses.

According to the UGC, all these varsities had opened more than six off campuses without the central government’s permission. However, the higher education regulator had to make an exception and allow the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, a deemed to be university, to open its eleventh off campus in Tripura in December last year, following an advice from the HRD Ministry.

The commission at its meeting on Thursday also agreed to granting approval to the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneshwar, which is an off campus of Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), functioning under the Department of Atomic Energy.

“The Commissions recommendation for granting approval to the NISER has also been accepted by the Ministry in the meeting,” UGC sources said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is schedule to inaugurate the permanent campus of the NISER on February 7.

With the impending visit of the prime minister, the UGC inspected the campus on January 25 and completed all other formalities to recognise the institute to ensure he does not inaugurate the campus of an “illegal” institute, sources added. Of over 120 deemed to be universities operating in the country, 37 are run by the government while another 11 are funded by the government.

It is not clear if whether the approval of the proposal would be applicable for deemed universities that are funded by the government. Two of the 10 deemed universities including Birla Institute of Technology, Pilani have challenged the UGC notice.
DH News Service