A letter shot off by a State bureaucrat has stirred a debate over the legal validity of the off-campus centre of the Bengaluru-based Jain (deemed-to-be) University functioning in Kochi since 2018.
Following the University Grants Commission’s grant of graded autonomy in 2018, the centre admitted students the next year. The UGC, however, in a letter to the Higher Education Department in July 2019 said it had not granted approval to the university to establish the off-campus centre. It was asked to discontinue courses in Kochi.
The UGC letter was in response to the department seeking clarification over the status of the off-campus centre and the Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth, Kochi. The government cautioned students over the validity of courses offered by the university.
The issue reared its head again when the Higher Education Department wrote to UGC Chairman D.P. Singh on June 20 seeking action against the institution that ‘functioned without government approval.’
Usha Titus, Principal Secretary, Higher Education, said the government had received complaints regarding non-compliance with the UGC’s directive. “As far as we understand, the off-campus centre is illegal. It remains so until the UGC informs the State of having sanctioned its operations,” she said adding that the government had not issued no-objection certificate for its functioning. The government is yet to receive the UGC’s response to the letter.
University’s version
However, the university maintained it had been functioning in line with the regulations laid down by the UGC. “We have also obtained approval for the Kochi campus in line with the UGC (Institutions Deemed to be Universities) Regulations, 2019. We do not require the State government’s concurrence as we function under the regulations of by the Centre and the UGC,” J. Letha, Pro Vice Chancellor of the university’s Kochi centre, said.
Dr. Letha said a UGC panel had inspected the premises in December 2019. The UGC met in May to discuss a compliance report submitted by the university and recommended its approval. The first batch of 1,000 students admitted in 2019, would have no difficulties in establishing the validity of their certificates, she said.
