CHENNAI: Holding that the guidelines of Anna University on inspecting engineering institutes before processing their applications for autonomous status are not statutory, the Madras High Court has ordered the University Grants Commission (UGC) to consider the applications filed by three self-financing engineering colleges for autonomous status.
The university had earlier rejected their applications.
“In so far as the validity of the guidelines prescribed by Anna University is concerned, as per orders passed by the court on September 6, 2021, in the Annapoorana case, the judge had declared that these guidelines do not have any statutory force, therefore, it is a ‘self-imposed’ guidelines on the part of the university,” Justice R Suresh Kumar noted in his recent order.
The self-imposed guidelines cannot be the sole criterion to evaluate the infrastructure and instructional facilities of institutions that seek autonomous status from the UGC. Power is vested with the commission to independently consider applications for autonomous status as per UGC regulations. The matter has been considered and reiterated by a division bench, the judge said.
The judge quashed the university’s order and directed the UGC to consider the applications of the petitioners on their own merits and in accordance with the law by conducting an inspection and passing orders within four weeks.
3 file plea in court
The petitions were filed by P Venkatachalam, chairman of a trust that runs Shree Venkateshwara Hi-Tech Engineering College; Prince Shri Venkateshwara Padmavathy Engineering College; & VSB Educational Trust in Karur