Lok Sabha Question No. 498 (STARRED), answered on 2018-04-02
Subject: Higher Education
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: C. MAHENDRAN

## GOVERNMENT	OF	INDIA MINISTRY	OF	HUMAN	RESOURCE	DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT	OF	HIGHER	EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA

STARRED	QUESTION	NO.*498 TO	BE	ANSWERED	ON	02.04.2018

## Higher Education

## †*498. SHRI C. MAHENDRAN:

- Will	the	Minister	of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be	pleased	to	state: (a)	the	existing	mechanism	in	place	in	University	Grants	Commission	(UGC)	to	maintain the	 standards	 in	 education,	 research	 and	 quality	 in	 higher	 education	 in	 private universities/colleges; (b) whether the Government/UGC proposes to review the present regulatory mechanism	in	the	field	of	higher	education; (c)	if	so,	the	details	thereof	along	with	the	reasons	therefor;	and (d)	the	steps	taken	by	the	Government/UGC	to	deal	with	the	emerging	challenges	in	the
- field	of	higher	education?

## ANSWER

MINISTER	OF	HUMAN	RESOURCE	DEVELOPMENT (SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

- (a)	to	(d):	A	statement	is	laid	on	the	Table	of	the	House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (d) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *498 FOR 02.04.2018 ASKED BY HON'BLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT SHRI C MAHENDRAN REGARDING HIGHER EDUCATION

(a):	Private	Universities	are	established	by	the	Acts	of	the	respective	State	Legislatures, therefore,	they	are	regulated	as	per	the	provisions	of	their	respective	Act.		In	addition, Private	 Universities	 are	 also	 regulated	 by	 the	 University	 Grants	 Commission	 (UGC) through	UGC	(Establishment	of	and	Maintenance	of	Standards	in	Private	Universities) Regulations,	 2003.	 These	 Regulations	 were	 notified	 by	 the	 UGC	 for	 safeguarding	 the interests	of	the	student	community	with	adequate	emphasis	on	the	quality	of	education and	 to	 avoid	 commercialization	 of	 higher	 education.	 In	 order	 to	 ascertain	 quality	 of education	 imparted	 by	 these	 Universities,	 UGC	 conducts	 periodic	 review	 of	 every Private	University	with	the	help	of	its	Expert	Committee	consisting	of	eminent	experts from	the	concerned	fields	and	nominee	from	the	Statutory	Council(s)	concerned.	In	case any	 deficiencies	 are	 found	 by	 the	 Committee,	 the	 University	 concerned	 is	 asked	 for rectification	of	the	deficiencies. (b)	&	(c):	The	Government	has	requested	National	Institute	of	Educational	Planning	& Administration	 (NIEPA)	 to	 constitute	 a	 working	 group	 to	 study	 the	 various	 Acts	 of Private	 Universities	 to	 find	 out	 the	 salient	 features	 of	 these	 Acts	 especially	 w.r.t autonomy	provided	to	Private	Universities,	Monitoring	/	Regulating	mechanism,	etc.	for these	 Private	 Universities.	 It	 has	 been	 also	 requested	 to	 look	 into	 the	 fee	 regulation being	adopted	by	State	Government	w.r.t	Private	Universities.	NIEPA	has	been	further requested	that	the	representative	of	UGC,	AICTE	&	two	legal	experts	may	be	included	in the	working	group	for	the	said	study. (d):	In	order	to	deal	with	the	emerging	challenges	in	the	field	of	higher	Education,	UGC

has	taken	the	following	initiatives:

- i. UGC	 (Categorization	 of	 Universities	 (Only)	 for	 Grant	 of	 Graded	 Autonomy) Regulations,	 2018	 has	 been	 notified	 to	 provide	 autonomy	 to	 institutions	 of higher	education	as	a	way	of	promoting	and	institutionalizing	excellence.
- ii. UGC	 (Institutions	 of	 Eminence	 Deemed	 to	 be	 Universities)	 Regulations,	 2017 have	 been	 notified	 to	 create	 a	 distinct	 category	 of	 Deemed	 to	 be	 Universities, called	 Institutions	 of	 Eminence	 Deemed	 to	 be	 Universities,	 which	 would	 be regulated	differently	from	other	Deemed	to	be	Universities	so	as	to	evolve	into
3. Institutions	of	world	class	in	reasonable	time	period.	These	Institutions	shall	be called	as	'Institutions	of	Eminence'.
- iii. UGC	(Open	and	Distance	Learning)	Regulations,	2017	have	been	recently	notified in	 the	 month	 of	 June,	 2017	 keeping	 in	 view	 the	 urgent	 need	 of	 appropriate regulations	 for	 monitoring	 of	 higher	 education	 through	 the	 open	 and	 distance mode.
- iv. UGC	has	formulated	the	UGC	(Conferment	of	Autonomous	Status	upon	Colleges and Measures for Maintenance of Standards in Autonomous Colleges) Regulations,	2018	in	terms	of	facilitating	the	colleges	and	making	the	process	of granting	autonomous	status	to	a	college	more	prompt.	These	Regulations	have been	implemented	in	order	to	facilitate	the	colleges	to	achieve	further	qualitative improvement	leading	towards	academic	excellence.

*****