Gangstok, September 28 (IANS). The University Grants Commission (UGC) has identified 54 states across the country for failing to meet the necessary rules, including five Universities of Sikkim. This information was given by the UGC in a notice issued on September 24. Universities of Sikkim, identified, include Meritorious Skills University (Eastern Sikkim), Sikkim Alpine University (South Sikkim), Sikkim Global Technical University (Namchi), Sikkim International University (West Sikkim) and Sikkim Skill University (Namthang). According to the UGC, these institutions did not submit the necessary information in terms of section 13 of the UGC Act 1956, nor uploaded information related to ‘public self-disclosure’ on their website. In June 2024, the UGC issued clear guidelines that each private university should display with transparency on its website. The UGC said that these institutions, despite repeated reminders, did not give information and did not make public. Section 13 empowers the UGC to investigate the academic quality, financial status and administrative functioning of a university, but the process has remained incomplete in the case of these institutions. Five universities of small states such as Sikkim have been included in this list, while in large countries such as Uttar Pradesh, only four were identified by the UGC, despite more than 30 private universities. There are fewer cases that do not fulfill, from states such as Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Education experts believe that the number of private universities in Sikkim has increased rapidly over the past year, but that the state level monitoring mechanism is poor. This development has created a stir in state politics. The opposition Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) has accused the ruling Sikkim revolutionary front (SKM) of ‘Fast and Without Control’. SDF spokeswoman Shale Rai said the UGC report proved that his concern was already expressed. He also claimed that the trusts operating several universities were rushed and that their credibility was questioned. At the same time, the Citizen Action Party (CAP) also described the matter as ‘lack of transparency and accountability in the education sector’. Vice President Kaushal Lohagan said that this situation is very embarrassing for a small state like Sikkim. He demanded immediate government interference. Universities included in the UGC list described the issue as a general process and said that they would soon complete the compliance. The University of Meritorious Skills said they uploaded all the information in May and also received a confirmation from the UGC. Sikkim Alpine University said they are constantly in contact with UGC. Sikkim Global Technical University and Sikkim International University described the delay as a result of the server technical upgrading and migration. Sikkim Skill University, which describes it as a ‘regular compliance process’, said that all documents are ready and will be submitted soon. In a statement issued by Sikkim Skill University in Namthang, we said we follow all the rules of UGC and other statutory bodies. The university was founded in 2022 and now we have completed three years. We prepared all the information searched by the UGC. It is a general process and does not affect the recognition or reliability of the University. Please do not believe any rumor. -Ians vku/dkp
UGC has marked 5 private universities in Sikkim, opposition surrounds the SKM government
