Private universities to resurface in C'garh

Raipur, Mar 31: Private universities are all set to resurface in Chhattisgarh with the state government issuing letter of intents to eight educational institutions to establish universities in the state.

These institutions will have to follow the provisions of the Chhattisgarh Private Universities (Establishment and Functioning) Act, a spokesman of the higher education department said.

Dr C V Raman University will be set up at Bilaspur, while Modi International University and G H Raisoni University will come up at Durg and Rajnandgaon respectively.

Gurukul University will also be established in Rajnandgaon district, while ICFAI university will be established in Durg district.

The state capital will have three private universities -- MATS University, Rai University and Kalinga University.

Educational institutions, intending to establish universities, will have to give an undertaking to the Chhattisgarh Private Universities Regulatory Commission stating that it would follow the provisions of the Act, along with the prescribed security deposit.

The universities would be allowed to start academic activities only after obtaining approval of the regulatory commission.

Private universities, which mushroomed in Chhattisgarh during the previous Congress regime, had to shut down after the Supreme Court struck down the Chhattisgarh Niji Kshetra Vishwavidyalaya Adhiniyam, in 2001. Keeping in view liberal provisions in the Act, more than a 100 private universities came into existence of the state capital and surrounding areas.

Several of them were housed in one or two room set ups spread over in 56 municipal wards.

A majority of these private universities did not develop infrastructure within the state but started their camps in other states and enrolled students in correspondence courses.

After coming to power in December 2003, the BJP government brought certain amendments in the Act and made it mandatory for the private universities to deposit Rs two crore each with the State University Regulatory Commission.

The universities, which failed to deposit the security deposit, were de-recognised.

However, all the private universities had to close down after the apex court, while hearing a public interest litigation, struck down the act.

Subsequently, the students, who had enrolled in these universities, had to get affiliated to the state-owned universities.

Later, the state government set in motion a fresh process for establishing of private universities in the state.

UNI