Flagrant violations by colleges affiliated to the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha (GGSIP) University have invited the ire of lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung. These colleges have been found to have indulged in gross malpractices and majority of the colleges are not equipped to deal with students and courses.
Jung has directed the IP University administration that no new affiliation should be accorded to new institutions. Jung’s order stated that no new affiliation will be considered in this academic session 2014-15 and the colleges in question will not indulge in any further activities as he has put a moratorium. He has also ordered that the intake capacity will not be revised or increased and courses shall not be added in the institutions affiliated to IP University.
This order was issued during the consideration of policy for grant of NOC to private institutions affiliated to Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University in the current academic session. The NOC is issued on a yearly basis but the viewpoint is now emerging that this practice of annual NOC is not desirable and the affiliation once granted should be reviewed only when some adverse report are received or there are non-compliance issues based on inspection report of the university. There are 106 educational institutions affiliated to GGSIP University. Of these, 86 are private educational institutions. The l-G has ordered that colleges affiliated to GGSIP University neither increase seats nor start new courses in the academic session 2014-15. These colleges should also refrain from construction of any new blocks or expansion.
Sources in the l-G office told The Pioneer that the department has received a large number of complaints that these private educational institutions are blatantly violating the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) guidelines for higher education. In some cases, they do not have trained and qualified teachers while in some cases they have admitted a large number of students and do not have space for classes. In some cases, they do not have the prescribed laboratory. Sources said that a prestigious college affiliated to IP University is running management colleges; do not have required faculty, computers or the equipment. The University conducts 30-35 entrance examinations every year — for medicine, law, engineering, pharmacy and other subjects — for seats in 86 colleges in New Delhi.
The policy guidelines were valid for the academic year 2013-14 and the University had appointed an expert committee to streamline the affiliation process. The committee has already submitted its report. The matter was submitted to the Government and it was decided that matter needs to be examined further. Therefore, a committee has to be constituted comprising experts from IIT Delhi, Jamia Millia Islamia and Delhi University as well as a professor from IP University, Registrar IP University, representative from UGC and AICTE.
In this expert committee, the Director of Higher Education will be the member secretary. This committee will visit the affiliated private institution to see whether they are following the laid down norms and whether these institutes meet the norms for affiliation. On the other hand, IP University was seeking new guidelines but Delhi Government has decided that the old guidelines will remain in force till the new guidelines are introduced. The existing guidelines will remain in force for this academic calendar.
As far as the NOC for institutions are concerned, these NOCs are issued on the basis of Joint Assessment Committee constituted by the University and the same is approved by the Government. This Joint Assessment Committee is chaired by a retired IAS officer. The committee visits the institution and thereafter submits the report. This process is likely to be initiated. So the issue of NOC will be examined only after seeking report from JAC.
Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University was set up in 1999 by a law passed by the Delhi Government. It grants affiliation or the right to function to colleges under its control, more than half of which are private ones. It also sets their syllabi and holds their examinations every semester. The colleges, offering programmes such as engineering, computer application and masters in business administration, need the approval of AICTE as well as the university affiliation.