TN for blanket ban on deemed varsities

CHENNAI: Frowning on deemed universities which were “functioning with unbridled powers and running learning centres across India and abroad like petty shops”, Tamil Nadu higher education minister K Ponmudy on Saturday welcomed the Union human resource development (HRD) ministry’s crackdown and demanded a blanket ban on all deemed universities.
Breaking the government’s silence and clarifying its stand on the issue, Ponmudy reiterated the state’s demand to scrap the concept of deemed universities.The decision to derecognize a section of deemed universities while recognising some had created “doubts” among a section, Dr Ponmudy said, adding that all such institutes were “sailing in the same boat”.
“The deemed universities behave as if they enjoy unfettered powers. They refuse to follow the Centre’s rules or that of the state government with regard to admission of students. They use the UGC label for their selfish ends,” Ponmudy fumed.
Revealing the government’s bitter experience with the deemed universities, Ponmudy said none of them had agreed to its request for surrendering 65% of seats for the single-window counselling.