The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has constituted a three-member committee to study the functioning of deemed universities and suggest regulatory mechanisms for them within four months.
The move comes after the Supreme Court ordered suspension of engineering degrees awarded by four deemed universities, putting the future of nearly 30,000 engineers in limbo. These institutes were conducting distance education programmes in technical education without necessary approval.
The panel is headed by former chief justice of Patna high court l Narasimhan Reddy and include Additional Secretary in the HRD Ministry Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and All India Council for Technical Education Chairman Anil Sahasrabuddhe as members.
“The committee will study the functioning of deemed universities and examine whether more institutes are conducting programmes without proper approvals. It will also recommend regulatory mechanisms for deemed universities,” said a senior HRD official.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) had last week suspended engineering degrees awarded by four deemed-to-be- universities — JRN Rajasthan Vidyapeeth, Institute of Advanced Studies in Education, Rajasthan, Allahabad Agricultural Institute and Vinayaka Mission’s Research Foundation, Tamil Nadu.