University Grants Commission cracks whip on study centres

Chennai: To check rampant corruption and mushrooming of unauthorised study centres through open distance learning system in universities, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has ordered all universities to close study centres started outside their state.

“Any university which is established under a state Act can operate only within the territorial jurisdiction allotted to it under its Act and in no case beyond the territory of the state of its location. No university whether central, state or deemed can offer its programmes through its franchisee,” UGC vice-chairman Prof H. Deveraj said in a chat with Deccan Chronicle.

Prof Devaraj added that it had come to the notice of the UGC that some varsities flout norms by admitting students through franchise tie-ups with centres outside their territorial jurisdiction.

“In the interest of students we will be asking the erring universities to transfer all students admitted in such centres to the respective state universities under whose jurisdiction these centres are located. If the state has no state open university then students can be admitted to Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) centre located nearby,” he said.

Recalling how a Madras University study centre franchisee in Dubai had allegedly cheated the varsity by not rendering the money paid to it by the students, a senior Madras University faculty welcomed UGC’s decision and said that their university was not able to initiate any action in the case as the centre was out of its jurisdiction.

“It is not only state varsities that violate norms but a couple of deemed universities do too. Some deemed universities run distance education centres in ‘petty’ shops to make money,” the faculty pointed out.