Institutions like Jamia Hamdard, Symbiosis International University and others that are under the deemed-to-be-universities category will not be able to use the word ‘university’ in their names.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked 123 deemed-to-be-universities to drop the word from their names in a letter dated November 10. The letter cites a Supreme Court order of November 3, 2017 and says that the use of word ‘university’ by such institutes is in violation of Section 23 of the UGC Act. The court has asked such to stop using the word within one month of the issue of the Court order.
While issuing orders on banning technical education through distance mode, the apex court had also said that no deemed-to-be-university can run open and distant learning courses from the next academic year (2018-19) unless it is permitted to do so by the concerned authorities.
The court has also directed UGC to take proper steps to implement the Section 23 of the UGC Act, 1956.
The Section 23 of the UGC Act, 1956 says, “No institution, whether a corporate body or not, other than a University established or incorporated by or under a Central Act a Provincial Act or a State Act shall be entitled to have the word ‘University’ associated with its name in any manner whatsoever”.
With this order, prominent institutes like Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Jamia Hamdard, National University of Educational Planning & Administration, Birla Institute of Technology (Mesra), Christ University, Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth, SYMBIOSIS International University (Pune), Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (Coimbatore), and more will no longer will be able to use the word in their names.
Source:-DNA