University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed ten institutions to immediately shut down their off-campus centres, saying these are "unauthorised" and have been set up against the rules. The list of institutions put on notice are:
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Bhubaneswar
- Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) University
- Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS), Pilani
- Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra
- Indian School of Mines Dhanbad
- Banasthali University (Rajasthan)
- Ponnaiyah Ramajayam Institute of Science and Technology (PRIST)
- Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Uttar Pradesh
- The Lakshmibai National University of Physical Education (LNIPE) in Gwalior
University Grants Commission (UGC) Deputy Secretary Sunita Siwach on November 9, 2015 issued notices to these ten institutions, pointing out that the off-campus centres set up by them have been established in violation UGC guidelines. The regulator gave the institutions a month to submit an action taken report.
Prof RB Grover, vice-chancellor of Homi Bhabha National Institute, expressed surprise at UGC's move. "We have not yet received the communication but we are quite taken aback at this. This has to be some misunderstanding and we would like a dialogue with them on the matter," he said. "It is quite surprising as UGC as per its own gazette notification has approved HBNI as a deemed university with all its ten constituents. If there are some recent changes, then they must give us sufficient time to meet new requirements. Asking us to close these down will be very perturbing," said Grover.
The UGC said in its notice that the off-campus centres have been established by these deemed universities "without prior approval of the ministry of human resource and development" and failing closure, "necessary action" will be taken.
The notice said the new centre of TIFR in Hyderbabad is unauthorised, as is Homi Bhabha National Institute's Bhubaneswar centre; NIMIS' Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Shibpur centres; and PRIST's campus in Chennai, Kumbakonam, Madurai, Puducherry and Trichy.
The UGC also raised the red flag against IVRI's centres in Bengaluru, Kolkata, Mukteshwar, Palampur and Pune, along with LNIPE's Guwahati campus. Six of BIT Ranchi's centres in Allahabad, Deoghar, Kolkata, Lalpur, Noida and Patna, BITS. Pilani's Goa and Hyderabad centres, besides ISM Dhanbad's centre in Kolkata and Bansathali University's Rajasthan campus, have also been termed unauthorised.