PEC, Christ universities change names after UGC order

Chandigarh-based PEC University of Technology and Bengaluru's Christ University have rechristened themselves after the UGC pulled them up for including "university" in their names despite their deemed to be varsity status.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) had in October pulled up 123 institutions of higher education, which are deemed to be universities, for using "university" in their names and directed them to change the nomenclature within a month.

The PEC University of Technology has decided to switch back to its former name Punjab Engineering College and the Christ University has decided to use "Christ".

"The deemed to be universities had time till today to drop the word 'university' and change their names. Review will be done and compliance reports have been sought. Strict action, including cancellation of the deemed to be varsity status, will be taken against the defaulting institutions," a senior UGC official said.

The institutions which have been sent the directive are Manipal University, Delhi-based Indian Agricultural Research Institute (Pusa), Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, Jamia Hamdard, the National Dairy Research Institute in Karnal and the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun.

BIT-Mesra in Ranchi, Christ University, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies in Mumbai, Symbiosis International University in Pune, BITS-Pilani, Indian Veterinary Research Institute in Uttar Pradesh's Izzatnagar, Graphic Era University in Dehradun and Gurukul Kangri Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar are among the 123 institutes pulled up by the UGC.