COIMBATORE: Expressing concern over universities offering degrees with different nomenclature leading to litigation, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed varsities across the country to abide by the provisions of the University Grants Commission Act while awarding degrees.
The University Grants Commission has also asked the universities to approach it, with full justification, for prior approval for the award of degrees other than the one specified in the University Grants Commission Act.
“Some universities and institutions are awarding unspecified degrees leading to litigations and problems for students conferred with such degrees. Even NET qualified candidates with such unspecified degrees are denied their certificates. It is mandatory for the university to adhere to the approved nomenclature of degrees and ensure the observance of minimum standards of instruction before award of a degree,” the University Grants Commission said in recent communication to vice-chancellors of universities across the country.
Contravention of the provisions relating to the specification of degrees will render the defaulting university and its affiliated colleges liable for appropriate action by the University Grants Commission, including the suspension of grants, the University Grants Commission warned.
“If a university wishes to award a degree other than the one specified by the University Grants Commission, it shall approach us for its approval six months prior to starting the degree programme with full justification on the course to be started,” the commission said in its letter.
“As per the University Grants Commission Act, only four-five BComs are allowed, but universities and colleges offer BCom degrees with more than a dozen nomenclatures. They also offer MA in Business Economics (MBE), Animal Biology instead of Zoology, and Plant Biotechnology instead of Botany. Self-financing college managements are seeing fancy names for the award of degrees as cash crops,” said C Pichandy, vice president of the Association of University Teachers (AUT).
This puts students under lot of pressure and finally they are left in the lurch, he rued.