Hyderabad: In compliance with the Supreme Court’s directions, the Telangana govt has begun inspections of private universities and will soon submit an affidavit on their functioning, financial transparency and other details, responding to all nine queries raised by the apex court.The Supreme Court has initiated a nationwide review of private universities, raising questions over the circumstances under which they were established, their objectives, governance, academic standards and regulatory compliance. The directions were issued during the hearing of the Ayesha Jain vs Union of India case, following complaints regarding the functioning of several private universities across the country.Expressing concern over the manner in which some private universities are operating, the apex court directed all state governments to conduct detailed inspections and submit affidavits containing comprehensive information on various aspects of their functioning. The court wants to ascertain whether these institutions are complying with statutory norms and fulfilling the objectives for which they were established.In line with the directions, the state government constituted a high-level inspection committee headed by the Commissioner of Collegiate Education (CCE). The committee comprises the Secretary of the Telangana Council of Higher Education (TGCHE) as convener, the Registrar of JNTU as member-convener, the Registrar of Palamuru University, the Chief Finance and Accounts Officer of Osmania University, and the Assistant Director (Academic-C) of the Department of Technical Education as members. The committee has also been empowered to engage subject experts whenever required.The inspection team has begun visiting private universities across the state to examine the nine key areas identified by the Supreme Court. These include the rationale for establishing the universities, feasibility studies conducted before their establishment, land allotments and government concessions, governance structure, admission procedures, recruitment of teaching staff, compliance with UGC regulations, periodic government inspections, financial transparency under the “no-profit, no-loss” model, grievance redressal mechanisms for students and faculty, and payment of statutory salaries to academic staff.The Supreme Court has also sought details on whether university funds have been diverted for personal benefit, including payments to founders or their family members and acquisition of private assets. It has asked state govts to clarify whether audits have been conducted, whether any violations have been detected, and what action has been taken against institutions found violating regulations.The Telangana govt is expected to submit a detailed affidavit before the Supreme Court after the inspection committee completes its assessment of private universities in the state. The exercise is aimed at ensuring greater transparency, accountability and adherence to academic and regulatory standards in the higher education sector.
