Lok Sabha Question No. 2411 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-31
Subject: Monitoring of Private Universities
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: DEVJI MANSINGRAM PATEL

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2411 TO BE ANSWERED ON 31.07.2017

## Monitoring of Private Universities †2411. SHRI DEVJI M. PATEL:

Will	the	Minister	of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be	pleased	to	state : (a)	 whether	 the	 Government	 has	 noticed	 alleged	 fraudulent	 measures	 adopted	 by Universities	and	colleges	to	get	accredited/recognised	which	include	faking	the	number of	teachers	employed	and	if	so,	the	details	thereof; (b)	the	steps	taken	by	the	Government	in	this	regard; (c)	 whether	 the	 Government	 is	 contemplating	 to	 set	 up	 regulatory	 commission	 for monitoring	the	performance	of	private	universities;	and (d)	 if	 so,	 the	 details	 thereof	 and	 if	 not,	 the	 type	 of	 system	 developed	 to	 monitor performance	of	and	irregularities	of	private	universities?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (DR. MAHENDRA NATH PANDEY)

(a): National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is the recognized accreditation	 agency	 in	 the	 Country	 for	 all	 Higher	 Educational	 	 (Non-technical) Institutions.	As	per	procedure	for	accreditation,	the	Institutions/Universities	submit	the data	and	information	in	the	prescribed	format	to	NAAC.	The	data	are	validated	by	a	peer team	constituted	by	NAAC	before	submission	of	its	report	to	NAAC	for	accreditation	of the	Institutions.	At	times,	NAAC,	thorough	its	visiting	team	and	complaints	/	RTIs	from the	stakeholders,	has	noticed	that	various	Institutions	have	submitted	fraudulent	data for	acquiring	higher	grade.	These	complaints	are	considered	by	visiting	team	of	NAAC before	assigning	the	final	scores	under	the	respective	components	of	assessment.

(b)	To	avoid	submission	of	fraudulent	data	by	the	Institutions	for	accreditation,	NAAC has	taken	following	steps:

- i. It	is	mandatory	for	the	Institutions	to	upload	the	information	provided	to	NAAC on	their	website	and	retain	the	information	on	their	website	until	completion	of the	validity	period	of	accreditation	and	provide	access	to	all	the	stakeholders.
- ii. Institutions	 are	 instructed	 to	 videograph	 the	 whole	 assessment	 exercise	 and submit	the	same	to	NAAC	and	also	upload	on	its	website.
- iii. A	Complainants	Management	Committee	has	been	established	which	looks	into the complaints especially those received after accreditation for initiating necessary	action.
- iv. The	 new	 procedure	 of	 Assessment	 and	 Accreditation	 (A&A)	 implemented	 by NAAC	 w.e.f.	 July	 2017,	 has	 introduced	 an	 additional	 step,	 wherein	 the	 data submitted	 by	 Institution	 are	 subjected	 to	 a	 Data	 Verification	 and	 Validation (DVV)	process.	The	new	process	has	also	provision	for	imposing	severe	penalties on	Institutions	submitting	fraudulent	data.

(c)	&	(d):	There	is	no	such	proposal	under	consideration	of	the	Government	to	set	up	a Regulatory	 Commission	 for	 monitoring	 the	 performance	 of	 Private	 Universities.	 All existing	 private	 universities	 are	 established	 by	 the	 Act	 of	 their	 respective	 State Legislatures.		These	universities	are	governed	and	regulated	by	their	respective	State Acts	 and	 University	 Grants	 Commission	 (UGC)	 (Establishment	 of	 and	 Maintenance	 of Standards	 in	 Private	 Universities)	 Regulations,	 2003.	 As	 far	 as	 Private	 Deemed	 to	 be Universities	 are	 concerned,	 they	 are	 regulated	 by	 UGC	 (Institutions	 Deemed	 to	 be Universities) Regulations, 2016. As per the Regulations, UGC	 conducts	 periodic inspection	of	these	Universities	and	deficiencies,	if	any,	observed	during	inspection	are communicated to respective University for rectification. In addition, various Professional	Regulatory	Councils	viz.	Bar	Council	of	India	(BCI),	Dental	Council	of	India (DCI),	Indian	Nursing	Council	(INC),	Medical	Council	of	India	(MCI),	National	Council	for Teacher	 Education	 (NCTE),	 Pharmacy	 Council	 of	 India	 (PCI),	 etc.	 also	 review	 these Universities in their respective areas. Further, ranking of Higher Educational Institutions	done	by	the	Government	under	National	Institutional	Ranking	Framework acts	as	performance	indicator.

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