Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab (June 29, 2014): It is learnt that Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University, an SGPC institution based at Fatehgarh Sahib, has failed to get recognition from the University Grants Commission (UGC). The denial of recognition by UGC is also expected to jeopardise approval from the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).
According to Hindistan Times (HT) [t]he university website claims it is UGC-approved but vice chancellor Gurmohan Singh Walia accepted that the status was still to be earned.
“The tussle between the UGC and the AICTE is the hurdle,” he said, adding that it would have an impact on admissions indeed, as it’d be difficult to explain the technical nuances of approval to people.
The UGC refused to approve the university because the required four members of the AICTE had not inspected it. “It’s their tussle and we pay the price,” said the V-C. Rules require the university to coordinate with the AICTE to ensure that its members go with the UGC team for inspection.
The AICTE had to nominate the four members and the university had to invite them, whereas the latter contacted only one member and showed the remaining three as absent. When the UGC authorities were informed about this formally, the three absent members objected, saying that the university had not kept them in the loop.
Vice-chancellor Walia said the university had only acted on written directions from the UGC in inviting six inspectors, including a member each from the AICTE and the National Council for Teacher Education. “The university remains competent to award degrees and has written to the UGC for re-inspection. We’re in this situation because of the AICTE report,” he said.
SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar said he was aware of the matter and sorting it out.