Chennai: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking four months time to inspect 41 blacklisted deemed universities and submit its report to the apex court.
A section of the affected deemed universities on their part have also urged the Supreme Court to quash the Tandon panel’s recommendations. The UGC in its affidavit filed in the Supreme Court had observed that the report submitted by their expert committee, Tandon panel report and MHRD officer’s committee report vary in their approach, analysis and conclusions.
The commission further noted that considerable time had elapsed since these reports were submitted by the respective expert committees, therefore at this stage it would not be possible to ascertain the current status of these institutions, more so in respect of their available physical and academic infrastructure, as also in respect of their academic performance and research output.
Considering all the facts, UGC had made a plea in the apex court seeking its direction to inspect the 41 “C” grade deemed universities in order to assess their present status and submit a report.
Deemed university sources alleged that the Supreme Court had posted the case for further hearing during May first week. The sources also said that a section of the “C” category deemed universities had filed a petition in the apex court seeking it to quash the recommendations made by Tandon panel.
“Tandon committee has functioned in an arbitrary manner with predetermined results. One university in North India, which had not even started functioning in 2008-09 was given ‘A’ grade,” one of the administrators of affected deemed university said. Further, he noted that the UGC affidavit had not endorsed both Tandon panel as well as officer’s committee reports.
