HRD Ministry Constitutes Task Force To Check Deemed University Applications

New Delhi: The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has constitutes a task force in order to examine applications from submitted by the institutions that demand deemed to be university status. The task force will keep a check on the rectification of the deficiencies mentioned in the Report of the Committee constituted to review functioning of institutions deemed to be universities.

As per sources, the central government had constituted a committee of experts to review the functioning of the existing institutions 'deemed-to-be-universities' vide its notification number F.9-26/2009-U3A dated June 7, 2009 so as to satisfy itself of the justification of their continuance as institutions 'deemed to be universities'. Moreover, the Review Committee (committee of experts) had submitted its report to the government on October 20, 2009 which had been accepted, in principle, by the government.

Also, the Review Committee had, after assessment of the institutions deemed to be universities, placed 44 institutions in the category of institutions which on an aggregate were found to be deficient in certain aspects. It is essential to be rectified over a three year period for them to transit into the category of 'institutions satisfying most of the criteria for the Deemed University status'.

Deficiencies found in these institutions vis-?-vis the parameters used in the Review are already available in the public domain on the website of the HRD Ministry.  The issues regarding expansion of these institutions can be considered by the government only when these institutions rectify the deficiencies found in the review within the stipulated period of three years from the date of the report, as otherwise, expansion of such institutions would further enhance their deficiencies.

Besides, some of the institutions deemed to be universities have represented claiming to have overcome the deficiencies within the stipulated period of three years. In order to assess whether, and if so how, the deficiencies have been rectified by these institutions within the prescribed timeframe as mentioned in the report of the Review Committee, the government would require the advice of the task force as the deficiencies were found in these institutions, by the Review Committee.

According to an official release, the frequency of the meetings and procedure to be adopted including venue, etc. shall be left to the Task Force itself, provided that it meets as often as it can and well within the stipulated period of three years from the date of submission of the Report. Further the release also added that the entire process of the aforementioned examination shall be video-recorded live and the findings of the Task Force shall be put in the public domain on the Ministry's website in addition to informing the applicants individually.