2 more Sonepat private varsities under scanner of Education Department

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Chandigarh, July 7

State Higher Education Department has fined a private university Rs 10 lakh and given another show-cause notice for starting courses without the approval of the government.

Anand Mohan Sharan, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Higher Education Department, has imposed a penalty of Rs 10 lakh upon World University of Design, Sonepat, under Section 44 (A) of the Haryana Private Universities Act, 2006, for maladministration, misinformation and not maintaining standard, and in contravention of Section 34A of the Act.

Earlier, a show-cause notice was issued to the varsity for contravention of Section 34A of the Act in 2020.

The information came to the notice of the department during a meeting regarding the authorisation of new courses to the university. The officials noticed that the university had already advertised the proposed courses on its website.

As per section 34A of the Act, a university intending to start a new course has to intimate the same to the government, along with an assessment report, while the government specifies the manner in which the varsity shall commence enrolment of students and give authorisation.

Universities cannot commence the first enrolment of students without specific authorisation from the government.

“In no case, the application for authorisation be kept pending beyond 120 days, where after it shall be deemed to have the concurrence of the government to start the course or programme of study,” says the Act.

In the case of SRM University, Sonepat, it came to the notice of the department that the varsity had already been running courses without any kind of approval from the state government.

The show-cause notice was issued to the university on April 18. The notice read that it was a serious lapse on the part of SRM University and a “clear violation” of the Haryana Private Universities Act.

The Higher Education Department had also served show-cause notice to Ashoka University, Sonepat, on June 16 for allegedly violating related to the enrolment of state domicile students and the fee concession admissible to them.

“We are developing a mechanism for academic, financial and administrative audit of private universities of the state. Soon, it will be done,” said ACS, Higher Education Department, Anand Mohan Sharan.

SRM university given show-cause notice

• World University of Design fined Rs 10L for maladministration, misinformation and not maintaining standard, and in contravention with the Section 34A of the Haryana Private Universities Act
• Show-cause notice served to Ashoka University for allegedly violating norms related to the enrolment of state domicile students and the fee concession admissible to them
• Show-cause notice issued to SRM University for running courses without approval from the state govt. The notice reads that it is a ‘clear violation’ of the Haryana Private Universities Act