New panel to submit report on deemed varsities’ issue

The educational institutions of the country which are currently under scanner for failing to meet the criterion to retain deemed university status, need to go before a new expert committee constituted by the ministry of human resource and development (MHRD).

On February 10, following the directions of the MHRD minister Kapil Sibal, the department of higher education constituted a new committee chaired by Ashok Thakur, special secretary (technical education).

The committee is directed to hear all the 40 institutions under the scanner, separately and submit a report by April 25, according to a Supreme Court direction.

“The case is before the Supreme Court now. Following the Supreme Court order we have taken into consideration the deficiencies mentioned in the individual notices served and set up a separate committee to submit the report,” said an HRD official.

According to officials from the higher education department, each institution shall be given an opportunity of being heard individually by the committee, on a date to be intimated later. The committee shall, after the hearing, prepare its reasoned report in respect of each institution. Thereafter, the committee has to prepare a comprehensive report, which shall be submitted to the Supreme Court by April 25, as directed by the Supreme Court in its order dated 11/1/2011 (in WP (C) 142 of 2006).