Why lakhs of students' future are in limbo after recent SC's ruling: Explained

Fate of lakhs of students are in limbo as Supreme Court has put conditions on the functioning of 41 deemed universities. Reports say that approximately three lakhs students' future will be at stake.

SC is angry on UGC for not following the norms

• The Court took umbrage on University Grants Commission's hurry for giving go ahead to these university.
• Raising deep concern, the apex court said, "The universities can't be allowed to operate without physical verification of their infrastructure and teaching faculty strength".
• In a stern message to UGC, the court warned that now onwards not a single deemed university would be allowed to operate bypassing these established norms
• The TOI report says, that some irregularities with these Universities were found in 2009 itself, but UGC didn't bother to take any action.
• Instead, audacious UGC appeared to be in a hurry to allow majority of them to start operations

Various Committee found several flaws

• This verdict of Court has come after UGC's appointed Committee submitted report that only 7 out of 41 varsities are unfit to be blacklisted
• Flexing muscle saying the HRD Ministry can't debar them, the UGC committee headed by H Devaraj went to the Court.
• Among these 7 Universities, four of them are from Tamil Nadu, one from Rajasthan and two from Haryana
• On looming uncertain future of lakhs of students, UGC sources said recommendation of withdrawal of deemed university status does not mean these institutes will close down.
• They will have to take affiliations from some of the recognized Universities
• Earlier, in 2009 Tandon committee had put 41 of them under the 'C' category and declared them unfit to be a full fledged University

Which Universities are in dock?

• According to TOI, those universities which are in danger zone are Vinayaka Mission's Research Foundation, Salem; Academy of Maritime Education & Training, Karathur; Bharath Institute of Higher Education & Research, Chennai.
• Others are Ponnaiyah Ramajayam Institute of Technology & Science, Thanjavur (all from Tamil Nadu) and Maharshi Markandeshwar University, Mullana- Ambala and Manav Rachna International University, Faridabad (from Haryana). Institute of Advanced Studies in Education, Sardarshahr, is the lone institute from Rajasthan.
• With this new development, future of students are seriously under threat.