New Delhi, Sep 30: In a significant regulatory crackdown on non-compliant higher education institutions, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has declared 54 state private universities across India as defaulters for failing to submit mandatory information under Section 13 of the UGC Act, 1956 and for not publishing essential disclosures on their official websites. The move comes after repeated reminders and warnings issued by the commission to ensure transparency and accountability in the functioning of these institutions.
According to UGC Secretary Manish Joshi, the defaulting universities ignored multiple instructions, sent through emails, online meetings, and official communications to furnish detailed institutional data along with attested supporting documents for inspection purposes. They were also directed to upload the filled-in formats and appendices on their websites, providing a direct link on the home page to make the information easily accessible to students, parents, and the general public.
“Higher education institutions are required to maintain a functional website that discloses all relevant details for stakeholders. The information must be accessible without any login or registration and must include a built-in ‘search’ facility for easy navigation,” the guidelines emphasize.
Among the defaulters, Madhya Pradesh leads with 10 universities, followed by Gujarat (8), Sikkim (5), and Uttarakhand (4). The UGC has circulated the list of these institutions and warned them to rectify the violations immediately, failing which stricter regulatory action could follow.
This latest action reflects the UGC’s tightened scrutiny of private universities and its determination to uphold standards of transparency in higher education. Earlier in July, the commission had issued warnings to 23 universities for failing to appoint ombudspersons, a critical requirement for ensuring grievance redressal and institutional accountability.