SC’S DIRECTION TO UGC ON FAULTED DEEMED UNIVERSITY

• The Supreme Court has directed the University Grants Commission to consider afresh the status of 44 deemed universities which were sought to be de-recognised on the basis of the Tandon Committee report.
• Passing the order on Tuesday on a writ petition filed by advocate Viplav Sharma seeking regulation of the deemed universities, a Bench of Justices K.S. Radhakrishnan and Vikramajit Sen asked the UGC to examine the reports of the Tandon Committee and the Committee of Officers with notice to all 44 institutions.
• “The institutions are free to raise their objections to the reports and the UGC has to consider the same and take an independent decision in accordance with law, if necessary, after affording them a hearing, within two months.”
• The UGC would then tender its advice, which though not binding on the Centre, would have to be given due weight as it is an expert statutory authority.
• “We make it clear that we have not given our stamp of approval to any of the reports and it is for the UGC to consider all the reports…,” the Bench said.
• The Tandon Committee had recommended de-notifying the deemed university status to 44 institutions but they demanded that the panel report be discarded.