UGC, The apex education regulator, according to reports, has given the institutes time till 4 pm today to discard the ‘university’ title against their names, a directive which is a follow-up of a November 3 Supreme Court order on stopping deemed-to-be universities from using university titles.
The list also includes K.L.E. Academy of Higher Education and Research, J.N.Medical College Campus (KLE University).
UGC had put nearly 123 deemed-to-be-universities on notice over the university title usage, asking them to look for alternatives following the apex court directive.
The SC observed in this context, “All that the UGC Act does is to confer deemed to be university status on an institution which has achieved excellence in its chosen field so that its development in the concerned field and its attempts to attain excellence and conduct research are not hampered on any count and at the same time it could be extended the facilities of Aid.
It is precisely for this that the distinction between a regular university established under a Central, Provincial or State Act and an Institution Deemed to be University is maintained in the UGC Act. A deemed to be university can certainly award degrees but, cannot use the word ‘university’ by virtue of Section 23 of the UGC Act.”
The UGCV says, It has been observed that inspite of the directions from Hon’ble Supreme Court and UGC, the Deemed to be University is still using the word ‘University’ with its name. This non-compliance of the orders of Hon’ble aoex court and directions of the UGC has been viewed ‘very seriously’ by the UGC.