Mahatma Gandhi University shrugs off affiliation norms
The regulation says that engineers are needed in the team, but according to university sources that never happens.
KOCHI: Even as the State Government intervenes to restore affiliation this year for 25 self-financing colleges under MG University that failed to meet UGC criteria on own land and buildings, it has come to light that the university itself had erred on several counts in granting even the temporary affiliation to these colleges.
One of the main breaches being pointed out is that the inspection committees sent by the university to colleges for recommending affiliation to them do not have the members as prescribed under the UGC (Affiliation of Colleges by Universities) Regulations 2009.
The regulation says that engineers are needed in the team, but according to university sources that never happens. The engineer is included to assess the buildings and also the property. Instead, Syndicate members have become part of this committee which gives the inspection process a political character leading to corruption charges as well. However, UGC never prescribes any role for Syndicate members in the committee.
As per UGC, the inspection committee shall have one expert for each of the subject areas proposed; dean, college development council/an equivalent academician of the university; a representative of the higher education department of the government not below the rank of Deputy Director and an engineer from the PWD/CPWD or the university not below the rank of executive engineer.
One of the subject experts at the level of professor as nominated by the Vice Chancellor shall be the chairperson of the committee. The colleges, apart from ensuring undisputed ownership and possession of land measuring not less than 2 acres if it is located in metropolitan cities and 5 acres if it is located in other areas, shall also satisfy the university that adequate financial provision is available for running the college for at least three years without any aid from any external source, to qualify for temporary affiliation.
The Regulation also says that the colleges “shall produce evidence of creating and maintaining a corpus fund permanently in the name of the college by way of irrevocable government securities of Rs 15 lakh per programme, if the college proposes to conduct programme only in arts, science and commerce, Rs 35 lakh per programme or as prescribed by the relevant statutory/regulatory body.”
However, these stipulations, and several others in the UGC Regulation 2009 are hardly followed in the case of several colleges which resulted in the stalemate leading to denial of affiliation to 25 colleges this year.