Bharati Vidyapeeth upgraded to A category of deemed universities

Updated on: Tuesday, October 23, 2012

City-based Bharati Vidyapeeth, which was on the ministry of human resource development's watchlist for being part the 44 'B' category deemed universities that were given three years' time in October 2009 to overcome their deficiencies, has now moved up to the 'A' category of deemed universities.

"We received a communication from the HRD ministry on October 19 conveying us that the ministry's task force, which examined our compliance report, has accepted the same and has put us in the 'A' category," Bharati Vidyapeeth vice-chancellor Shivajirao Kadam said here on Monday.

Kadam said, "The category upgrade will enable Bharati Vidyapeeth to secure permanent recognition and vital grants from the University Grants Commission under sections 2 (f) and 12 (B) of the UGC Act. This will facilitate further strengthening of our academic, research activities and expansion plans." Setting up of an offshore campus will now be an easier option for the deemed varsity. When contacted, K Damayanthi, director (ICR) in the HRD ministry's department of higher education, said that the ministry has forwarded a letter confirming the upgrade to Bharati Vidyapeeth. "The task force has yet to take a final call on the status of other Pune-based deemed universities listed under 'B' category institutions," she said.

Symbiosis International University (SIU), DY Patil University (DYPU) and Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE) are the other city-based deemed universities in this category, while the Deccan College Postgraduate Research Institute was called by the task force to make a presentation.

The HRD ministry had set up an expert committee under P N Tandon, professor emeritus with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, for a review of all deemed universities on various parameters including academics, research, infrastructure etc. In its report submitted to the ministry on October 20, 2009, the Tandon committee classified the 126 deemed universities, which appeared before the panel, in three categories, A, B and C.

The 'A' category related to those institutions which, on an aggregate of their achievements; performance as well as potential, justified their continuation as deemed universities. Category 'B' related to those institutions, which on an aggregate were "found to be deficient in some aspects", which needed to be rectified over a three-year period for them to move into the 'A' category. The 'C' category related to those institutions, which neither on their past performance nor on their promise for the future, had the attributes to retain their status as deemed universities. The panel had recommended de-recognition of deemed status of these institutions, which have since moved the Supreme Court, where the matter is still pending.

On February 21, 2011, the then HRD ministry director Upamanyu Basu issued an order stating that the performance of the 44 'B' category deemed varsities will be examined by a five-member committee comprising of the members who were part of the Tandon committee. Goverdhan Mehta of the University of Hyderabad; Anandakrishnan of IIT, Kanpur; Mrinal Miri, former vice-chancellor of the North Eastern Hill University, Shillong, and the additional secretary to the ministry are other members of the task force.

Basu's order stated, "Issues regarding expansion of these 44 institutions can be considered by the government only when they rectify the deficiencies found in the review by the Tandon committee. Some of these institutions have represented claiming to have overcome the deficiencies.

The government would require the advice of the task force in order to assess whether the deficiencies have been rectified and if so how."

Damayanthi said, "The result of SIU's presentation is yet to be made known by the task force while the DYPU and GIPE have not yet gone through the process of making a final presentation." At the SIU, principal director Vidya Yeravdekar said, "We haven't got any official communication yet from the ministry regarding this matter."

Rajas Parchure, GIPE director, said, "We have had one round of presentation before the HRD task force. Our final presentation is expected to happen in a month's time."

Deccan College director V P Bhatta said, "We were not listed in any of the three categories by the Tandon committee, but subsequently were asked by the HRD ministry to make a presentation before the task force. We made our presentation sometime in May and are still awaiting the result ."Bhatta pointed out that the Deccan College has traditionally been very strong on research and publications. "The task force had sought all our research and publication work details and we are quite sure about coming through with the highest grade."

Bharati Vidyapeeth upgraded to A category of deemed universities

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