The Supreme Court has directed the University Grants Commission (UGC) to conduct a fresh physical inspection of those deemed universities, which were sought to be de-recognised on the basis of a UGC panel report.
A Bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Vikramajit Sen passed the order after hearing Additional Solicitor-General Maniner Singh for the UGC and Additional Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta for the Centre and counsel for various institutions.
The Bench in its order in the petition filed by advocate Viplav Sharma said “The singular grievance that has been agitated in the applications is that the UGC instead of taking recourse to physical inspection of the concerned institutions, have adopted an innovative modus operandi by inspecting through photographs and video camera. We cannot conceive of such a situation. In our considered opinion, inspection would mean in all its connotative expanse physical inspection from all scores and spectrums. Neither the petitioners can have a restrictive or constricted meaning on the same nor the UGC can put a gloss over it. A physical inspection is fundamentally a physical inspection and we so repeat at the cost of repetition.”
The Bench directed the UGC to conduct physical verification of the institutions covered in the applications within 12 weeks. It said “After the inspection is conducted, it would be an obligation of the UGC to point out the defects/defaults so that the institutions can rectify the same in quite promptitude. A reasonable time shall be granted for the same for due compliance. Thereafter and only thereafter, the same shall be submitted to the Central Government and be filed before this court along with the recommendations of the UGC.”
The Bench directed the matter to be listed for further hearing on January 8, 2015.
Reacting to the order, Prof. R. Sethuraman, Vice-Chancellor of SASTRA University highlighted the need for physical inspection of all deemed universities. He pointing out the discrepancies in the methodology adopted by Tandon Committee, which also conducted an armchair review. The present observation of the Supreme Court rightly ordering UGC to physically inspect C category deemed universities in all fairness must be applicable for A & B category deemed universities as well to put to rest an issue long pending since 2009.
