The Gujarat government has set up two committees to conduct more strict “monitoring, supervision, inspection, and review” of private universities established under the Gujarat Private Universities Act 2009.
Last month, the Gujarat Assembly passed a bill amending the Act to add eleven new universities to the state’s list of private universities, bringing the total number of private universities to 54.
The state government “has the power to form rules for any or all matters,” according to the notification for the committees’ appointments, which was issued in the first week of April.
The committees have been formed “for effective implementation of The Gujarat Private Universities Act 2009 and the rules under the Act, for effective monitoring, review, inspection one high-level committee and one working committee was under consideration by the state government for some time”, the notification states.
The government has decided to appoint these committees after almost 13 years of the enactment of the private universities Act, even as the act itself has provisions for such control.
About the need to set up these two committees despite the provisions of the Act, Education Minister Jitu Vaghani told The Indian Express, “Yes, the Governing Council had representation of state government but with these two committees monitoring, inspection and supervision had been made stricter.”
The Governing Body of a private university must have a secretary of higher and technical education or his representative not below the rank of deputy secretary or deputy commissioner-ex officio, according to the Gujarat Private Universities Act 2009. This group must meet at least three times per calendar year.
Further, Section 31 (2) of the Act, says, “The state government may … cause an assessment to be made in such manner as may be prescribed by such person or persons as it may deem fit”.
Also the university has to take corrective measures to ensure compliance of recommendations by the state government on the basis of assessment, failing which the state government can also give directions which the universities have to comply immediately.
The high level 12-member apex committee with State Education Minister as its chairperson and minister of state for higher and technical education as vice-president, principal secretary higher and technical education as its assistant vice-president has senior officials as members not only from education but also from finance department, legal department, roads and buildings department.
Also, a member of University Grants Commission (UGC) and one from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) constitutes the apex committee.
Ruling out the directives as a fallout of a demand by the opposition, Vaghani said, “These have been formed as per the existing Act which gives the power to the state government to form such committees and was long due. This decision is not at all due to Congress demand.”
While the apex committee will take policy-related decisions, overall supervision, guidance and work related to control meeting every three months the seven-member working committee for supervision, review inspection and scrutiny chaired by the principal secretray, higher and technical education will meet every two months.
This will separately supervise and inspect private universities to ensure they follow the Act and rules and as per government’s guidelines, ensure students are getting promised infrastructure.
The committee will also keep an eye on the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020 and ensure that private universities have established anti-ragging and sexual harassment committees.
Additionally, this committee has the authority to issue directives to private universities in accordance with the Act and guidelines issued by the state government from time to time.