New Delhi: University Grants Commission (UGC), the higher education regulator in India, said, in a circular, that some universities are awarding ‘unspecified degrees’ which is leading to litigations and different problems for the students conferred with such degrees. The UGC has also asked the universities to abide by the regulations laid by it “to award only such degrees as have been specified by the UGC”.
The UGC circular comes after the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), apex consumer commission, directed a Karnataka college recently to refund Rs 1.12 lakh to its 11 students who were awarded degree different from the one that they had enrolled for.
The consumer body had asked St Aloysius Institute of Computer Science, Mangalore to refund the amount within four weeks along with litigation cost to the 11 students who were awarded a degree in M.Sc. Software Technology instead of MS, reports NDTV.
“The Commission has been, time and again, requesting the Universities to award degrees only within the framework of Section 22 of the UGC Act. The consolidated list of UGC approved nomenclature of degree(s) for the purpose of Section 22(3) of the University Grant Commission Act, 1956 is available on the UGC website,” the circular said.
“It has been observed that some universities or institutions are awarding unspecified degrees leading to litigations and different problems for the students conferred with such degrees. The Universities are once again, requested to abide by the provision of Section 22 of the UGC Act, 1956 and award only such degrees as have been specified by the UGC,” it said.
If a university wishes to award a degree other than the one specified by the UGC, the Commission has asked educational institutions to approach the UGC for its approval six months prior to starting the degree programme with full justification on the course to be started.