Centre tells Supreme Court: It has powers to de-recognise deemed universities

New Delhi, Aug 3 (ANI): The Central Government on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that it was well within its power under the rules of the University Grants Commission (UGC) to de-recognise the 44 deemed universities for allegedly failing to maintain mandatory quality education.

Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium, who appeared before a bench of Justice Dalveer Bhandari and Justice Deepak Verma said: "Under the UGC Act, the Commission was empowered to accord the deemed status to universities. The power to accord recognition of deemed status included the power to de-recognise them for failing to meet the standards."

Senior Counsel K K Venugopal, appearing for the university, said: "The function of the UGC could not be usurped by a committee set up outside the act (UGC Act, 1956)".

Venugopal assailed the proposal of the Central Government to de-recognise the 44 universities as illegal on the ground that such a power was vested only with UGC.

He questioned the very constitution of the Professor P N Tandon Committee, which had recommended de-recognition of the universities.

"Tandon was himself a head of the National Brain Research Centre that was established by the department of biotechnology in Haryana in 1997 and enjoyed the status of a deemed university," said Venugopal.

An expert committee earlier reviewed the functioning of 126 of the 130 deemed universities and found 44 among them unworthy for the status. (ANI)