The Gujarat Education Department on Tuesday granted Centre of Excellence (CoE) status to 10 private universities in the state. While seven universities retained their existing status, three universities were newly added to the list. These 10 CoEs will enjoy autonomy in admissions and fee structures for a six-year period, from the academic year 2025–26 to 2030–31.
Those retaining their CoE status include : Ahmedabad University, CEPT University, Charotar University of Science and Technology, Changa, Dhirubhai Ambani University, Marwadi University, Nirma University, Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU).
The new Universities to join the league are : Anant National University, Parul University and Ganpat University.
Besides granting of the CoE status to 10 universities, what kept the academic circle abuzz was how a private university, owned by a BJP veteran, was declined the CoE status following a stringent scrutiny. While city-based LJ University withdrew its status after applying and evaluating cons of the process, Gokul Global University, established in 2018, maintained its candidature, said those in know of the development.
According to source,”Of five new applicants, three have been granted the status of CoE. A team working on the CoE is believed to have mistakenly shared the evaluation report, which showed lower scores for two universities. Some of the factors going against them were NAAC accreditation, research, diversity among others. While LJ withdrew its candidature, Gokul Global University is believed to have faced rejection from one of the top most members of a special committee formed to review 12 applicants. The member is believed to have outrightly denied granting the CoE status to this Siddhpur-based university owing to its not-so-impressive performance in many criteria”.
It is believed that the issue of excluding a particular university from the list of Centres of Excellence (CoEs) reached the Chief Minister, who reportedly summoned the minister to explain the decision to reject the university’s claim for the prestigious status. Notably, Gokul Global University is absent from the list of the 10 approved CoEs.