New Delhi: Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal has assured that numerous students enrolled in deemed universities will not suffer due to de-recognition. As per sources, the fate of nearly 2 lakh students across the nation is at stake; with the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) decision to de-recognition of 44 deemed universities, which were found to be deficient on many grounds.
Mr Sibal has made the announcement at the 10th Editor's Conference on social sector issues that officially they have not de-recognized any deemed university. The ministry has moved to the Supreme Court with an affidavit and a report by the expert committee on deemed universities. He further assured that no student would suffer. The HRD Minister, however, also admitted that the findings of the committee on de-recognition have been accepted by the Government.
Further, he mentioned the cause that these universities are being run as family fiefdoms rather than institutions of academic excellence. Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium made this submission to a bench of Justice Dalveer Bhandari and Justice Mukundkam Sharma, during the hearing of a 2006 lawsuit, questioning the misuse of the deemed university status by glut of educational shops. Of the total 44 universities enlisted for de-recognition, Tamil Nadu tops the chart with maximum number of 16, followed by Karnataka (6), Uttar Pradesh (4) and Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Haryana (3).
