J

Srinagar, Dec 8 (UNI) The Jammu and Kashmir high Court has taken serious note over the offering of degrees in technical courses by the off-campus centres of deemed universities operating in the state and issued a notice to the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Congress-led coalition government in this regard.

A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Bashir Ahmed Khan and Justice J P Singh, asked both the UGC and the Jammu and Kashmir government to clarify their position as to whether the institutions have been authorised by the governing bodies to start these courses and were well equipped to offer such education.

The Bench questioned the functioning of these institutions, saying the issue has serious implications involving public interest and it was not known how technical courses such as engineering and technology could be run in an off-campus centre by a deemed university stationed outside in a distance education programme.

The court also questioned if a deemed university could start an off-campus course and run it in different states without the approval of academic bodies and the state government.

It remained to be seen whether there was any supervisory mechanism to ensure that such off-campus centres were well equipped to impart education in the courses started by them, it observed.

The Bench also issued notices to the heads of UGC, Distance Education Council, Academic Council of Technical Education, Jammu and Kashmir, National Council of Technical Education New Delhi and the vice-chancellor of Vinakaya Mission Research Foundation Salem Tamil Nadu, commissioner/secretary to government higher education department, Jammu and Kashmir, vice-chancellors/registrars universities of Jammu and Kashmir and managing director/head of NITs, Jammu asking them to file their reply one week ahead of the next date of hearing.

The court also issued the order over a writ petition, alleging that the deemed universities were running off-campus centres without the requisite permission from the UGC and other governing bodies and were awarding degrees/diplomas, which were legally invalid.

The petitioner had prayed that the state government and its institutions and departments should be directed not to entertain any such degrees awarded in technical courses such as B Tech/B E courses by the off-campus centres run by deemed universities.

UNI AG VA ND1742