Lok Sabha Question No. 407 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-02-05
Subject: Distance Learning Engineering Course
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: PANKAJ CHOWDHARY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

## DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 407 TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.02.2018 Distance Learning Engineering Course †407. SHRI PANKAJ CHAUDHARY:

Will	the	Minister	of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be	pleased	to	state :

(a)	 whether	 engineering	 degrees	 of	 distance	 learning	 course	 issued	 by	 the	 deemed universities	since	2001	have	been	cancelled	by	the	Supreme	Court; (b)	 if	 so,	 the	 number	 of	 students	 of	 these	 universities	 who	 have	 obtained	 degrees between	2001	and	2017-18,	affected	from	this	decision; (c)	whether	the	Government	is	likely	to	take	action	against	the	people	responsible	for running	distance	learning	course	through	deemed	universities; (d)	if	so,	whether	the	Government	proposes	to	formulate	any	action	plan	to	restrain	all deemed	universities	conducting	fake	courses;	and

- (e)	if	so,	the	details	thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (DR. SATYA PAL SINGH)

(a):	The	Hon'ble	Supreme	Court	of	India	in	its	Judgment	Order	dated	03.11.2017	in	Civil Appeal	No.	in	 Civil	 Appeal	 Nos.	 17869-17870/2017	has	 suspended	all	 the	 degrees	 in Engineering	awarded	by	four	Deemed	to	be	Universities	namely	Institute	of	Advanced Studies	 in	 Education	 (IASE),	 Sardarshahr,	 Rajasthan;	 Janardan	 Rai	 Nagar	 Rajasthan Vidyapeeth	 (JRNRV),	 Udaipur,	 Rajasthan;	 Vinayaka	 Mission's	 Research	 Foundation (NMRF),	Salem,	Tamil	Nadu;	and	Allahabad	Agricultural	Institute	(AAI),	Allahabad,	Uttar Pradesh	 (now	 known	 as	 Sam	 Higginbottom	 Institute	 of	 Agriculture,	 Technology	 & Sciences)	 during	 the	 Academic	 Sessions	 2001-2005.	 The	 Court	 directed	 the	 All	 India Council	 for	 Technical	 Education	 (AICTE)	 to	 devise	 the	 modalities	 to	 conduct	 an appropriate	 test	 /	 tests	 for	 those	 students	 who	 were	 admitted	 in	 these	 Institutions during	the	Academic	Sessions	2001-2005.	The	options	may	be	given	to	the	concerned students	 for	 appearing	 in	 the	 test.	 The	 students	 will	 be	 given	 two	 opportunities	 to qualify	the	Test.

Further,	 Hon'ble	 Court	 vide	 its	 judgment	 dated	 22.01.2018	 held	 that	 all	 such candidates,	who	wish	to	appear	at	the	Test	to	be	conducted	by	AICTE	in	May-June	2018, can	 retain	 the	 degrees	 in	 question	 and	 all	 the	 advantages	 flowing	 there	 from	 till	 one month	after	 the	 declaration	 of	 the	 result	 of	 such	 test	 or	 till	 31.07.2018	 whichever	 is earlier.	If	the	candidates	pass	in	such	first	attempt,	they	would	be	entitled	to	retain	all the	advantages.	But	if	they	fail	or	choose	not	to	appear,	the	directions	in	the	judgment shall	 apply,	 in	 that	 the	 degrees	 and	 all	 advantages	 shall	 stand	 suspended	 and withdrawn.	 They	 will	 undoubtedly	 be	 entitled	 to	 appear	 on	 the	 second	 occasion	 in terms	 of	 the	 judgment	 but	 this	 exception	 shall	 not	 apply	 for	 such	 second	 attempt. However,	 the	 degrees	 obtained	 from	 these	 Deemed	 to	 be	 Universities	 after	 the

Academic	Sessions	2001-2005	have	been	cancelled. (b):	No	such	data	is	maintained	by	the	Central	Government. (C):	 Pursuant	 to	 the	 direction	 of	 Hon'ble	 Court,	 Central	 Bureau	 of	 Investigation	 (CBI) has	 been	 requested	 by	 this	 Ministry	 to	 carry	 out	 thorough	 investigation	 against	 the concerned	Institutions	/	officials	so	that	appropriate	action	may	be	taken	against	the Institutions	/	Officials	concerned. (d)	 &	 (e):	 As	 per	 direction	 of	 the	 Hon'ble	 Court,	 this	 Ministry	 has	 constituted	 a Committee	 to	 examine	 the	 entire	 issues	 of	 distance	 education	 imparted	 by	 Higher Educational	Institutions	especially	pertaining	to	technical	education	and	its	allied	fields and	 also	 to	 suggest	 a	 road	 map	 for	 strengthening	 and	 setting	 up	 of	 oversight	 and regulatory	 mechanism	 for	 the	 above	 issues.	 The	 Committee	 has	 also	 been	 asked	 to suggest	oversight	mechanism	to	regulate	the	Deemed	to	be	Universities.

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