Should Functioning of Private Universities be Monitored?

Independent legislator Manas Chaudhuri said there is a need to put in place, a monitoring system to keep a close watch on the functioning of private universities in the north-eastern states. Choudhury said during the Question Hour in the Assembly on 14 Sept. that the need to keep a check on the functioning or non-functioning of these universities has become the call of the hour. He brought into light that some of these universities are functioning from shabby buildings.

In reply, States Education Minister Prof RC Laloo informed that eight private universities have been set up in the state, even as he admitted the need to put a monitoring mechanism in place. Out of these eight institutes, the University of Technology and Management has stopped functioning as it had failed to pay the endowment fund of Rs 2 crore to the State Government.

The Education Minister also mentioned that the private universities had been set up between the years 2005 to 2011, following an Act passed by the State Assembly.

Earlier, UDP legislator Ardent Basaiawmoit alleged that there were irregularities in the functioning of the Martin Luther Christian University (MLCU), Shillong. Basaiawmoit also informed that senior Congress legislator Friday Lyngdoh had already questioned the functioning of the University in a letter addressed to Governor RS Mooshahary in April last.

Quoting the letter, Basaiawmoit said, “There are many cases of irregularities by the University under the Chancellorship of Dr KM Shyamprasad as per reports received from the United Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India (UELCI). The State Government should be consulted before appointing any new Chancellor for the University.”

Quoting records, Basaiawmoit also claimed that the University is not permitted to run off-campus courses according to the norms laid down by the University Grants Commission (UGC). There is no permission from the Distance Education Council too. Further, MLCU has already been affiliated with many institutions within the State and outside which it is not permitted to do,” Basaiwmoit said, adding that the University was yet to be accorded recognition by the UGC.

The UDP leader also pointed out that the University has no links with the United Evangelical Lutheran Churches of India (UELCI), which the State Government believes is one of the sponsoring bodies.

“It has been found that the Khasi Jaintia Presbyterian Assembly (KJPA) which was accorded partnership to run the University has been duped,” he added. As per the MLCU Act, it is mandatory to have an endowment fund with a contribution of 50 per cent each from both KJPA and UELCI. However as per the records available, the entire amount of the endowment fund was deposited by KJPA only.

The legislator also informed that following clarifications sought by the KJPA, the UELCI admitted that it did not have any correspondence or meeting to establish the University. UELCI further clarified that they were not aware of any MoU executed on April 9, 2005 to establish a University in Shillong. The UDP legislator blamed the State Government for not initiating any inquiry to establish the credentials of the sponsors of the University.

“Lutheran University, set up in Chattisgarh, was shut down following a Supreme Court ruling in March 2005. But it is quite surprising that the Chancellor of a defunct university is now performing the same role in MLCU,” he added. Speaking on the issue, KHNAM legislator Paul Lyngdoh said the government should de-recognize those universities which cannot start functioning within a stipulated time frame.

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Reporter: Sharwan Kr. Jha