The Private University Bill was passed by the Uttar Pradesh Assembly by voice vote on Thursday, bringing 27 private universities, including Maulana Jauhar University in Rampur, under the purview of UP State University Act amid opposition from Samajwadi Party, which wanted the Bill to be sent to a select committee.
“The Bill is an attempt to subjugate these private universities by official interference. This will affect the quality of teaching in these universities,” said Ujjwal Raman Singh of Samajwadi Party.
The state government aims to bring an umbrella legislation to regulate, monitor and control flourishing private universities in the state and bring 27 universities, including Maulana Jauhar university, under its ambit.
The Private University Bill to enact this law was tabled in the Assembly on Wednesday.
Singh said that clauses of the Bill said that if any anti-national activity was carried out on the university campus then action would be initiated against its administration.
“How can a university administration be held responsible for a student engaging in anti-national activity? It is an attempt to brand some university as ‘tukde tukde’ gang as was done in the case of JNU (Jawaharlal Nehru University) by Bharatiya Janata Party leaders despite (the then) Finance Minister being an alumni of that university,” the SP legislator said.
Singh also spoke on the lack of transparency in appointment of vice-chancellors in the Bill.
“At least a three-member committee comprising professors should select a VC. There is no clarity on transparency in Governing Council meetings,” he said.
Allaying opposition apprehensions, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna said the Bill was brought to regulate and control all 27 private universities in the state.
“The government has made new laws to improve quality of education in these universities besides securing the future of students,” he said.
Khanna said that the new Bill proposes a say on fee structure, teachers’ appointment and other matters relating to quality of education and management in these universities. Besides, he said, the government would implement UGC (University Grants Commission) norms in these universities and finalise salary structure of teachers.
“There are around 30-32 new rules for these private universities, including keeping an endowment amount of Rs 5 crore with the government for any lapses. Besides, the Bill will make it compulsory that 75 per cent of teachers are appointed on permanent basis and the appointments are made in a transparent manner,” he said.
The Bill also fixes land area for setting up of universities. While the universities in urban area should have 20 acres of land, in rural areas the limit is 50 acres.
“As for the 27 universities, which are running at present, if they do not have such land then they will have to comply with the norms within a year,” he said.
The government also approved two separate Bills to amend State University Act by changing the name of state university in Allahabad as Professor Rajendra Singh alias Rajju Bhaiyya University. As per the other amendment, Amethi colleges would come under the purview of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia University from Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj University, Kanpur.