HC rebuff to deemed universities: Abide by UGC norms

Passing stinging stricture on all those institutions which do not value their commitments once they achieve their goal, the Karnataka High Court has reprimanded the deemed universities for not abiding by University Grants Commission (UGC) norms in admissions. The high court held that UGC guidelines, which have a statutory force, binding on all the institutions that enjoy the deemed to be university status.

The verdict, which could be of immense significance on the status of these universities, came as a bolt from the blue for the 32 students who were embroiled in a legal tangle with the deemed universities just 24 hours before the closure of admissions. 
 
In their order, a special bench of the high court observed:
 
"Having acquired the status of a deemed university -- after giving an undertaking and signing an MoU that they would surrender 25% of seats to the state government when obtaining an NOC -- they cannot contend that those conditions on which they were accorded recognition are bad in law and cannot be enforced.” 
 
Extensively citing various judgments of the Supreme Court including the Inamdar case the court added:
 
“They cannot take a U-turn and challenge the very same undertaking as well as the UGC Act's regulations, which had given them deemed status. According to UGC guidelines, the institution should follow the state policy."
 
The verdict is another damning indictment of the unscrupulous deemed universities which have earned a bad name for practices prejudicial to justice and fair play.