UGC declares 54 state private universities defaulters

At least 54 state private universities have been declared defaulters by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for not submitting mandatory information under section 13 of the UGC Act, 1956, and making public disclosures on their website, according to officials.

Citing several reminders through e-mails and online meetings, the UGC said the universities had been directed to submit detailed information for inspection purposes, along with supporting documents duly attested by the registrar.

"They were also directed to upload the filled-in format and appendices on their website by giving a link on the home page so that the information is accessible to the students and the general public. The above was followed by several reminders through e-mails and online meetings," UGC Secretary Manish Joshi said.

According to the guidelines on public self-disclosure, the higher education institutions must maintain a functional website for imparting information to stakeholders.

"The information disclosed on the website should be easily accessible to everyone, on the home page, without any need for registration or login. Additionally, there should be a 'search' facility available for easy navigation," the guideline stated.

Madhya Pradesh at 10 had the maximum number of defaulter universities, followed by Gujarat, Sikkim and Uttarakhand at eight, five, and four such institutions.

The UGC circulated the list of defaulting universities and warned them to take corrective steps immediately.

According to UGC officials, further action could follow if the institutions continue to ignore the instructions. The higher education regulator has tightened its monitoring of private universities in recent months.

In July, it had warned 23 institutions for not appointing ombudspersons.