In a bid to regulate private universities and improve the quality of education, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has urged the Gujarat government to establish a Gujarat Private University Regulatory Board. This demand was formalised during the students’ body’s 56th Regional Conference, which concluded on Friday.
Highlighting concerns over the state of higher education, the ABVP said, “Education institutes have now become centres of financial gains instead of abodes of learning.” The organisation noted that the state is home to 65 private universities, 28 of which have been established in the past five years. However, it claimed that these institutions are operating in violation of academic norms.
“Rules applicable to government education institutes during the admission process, such as intake of students, time limits, and transparency, are not applicable to private universities,” the resolution stated.
The ABVP also raised concerns over exorbitant fees at private universities. While fees in state universities are fixed, the resolution highlighted that charges for general courses at private institutions remain high.
“Some private universities impose additional charges like placement fees, lab maintenance fees, and extra charges in the name of extracurricular activities that are not regulated by the Fee Regulatory Committee,” it added.
The resolution emphasised the need for a prescribed fee structure to ensure student welfare and make education accessible to all. It also criticised some private universities for offering ‘certificate courses’ and ‘distance learning’ programmes with inadequate facilities while charging significant fees, violating University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines.
The ABVP further called for the reintroduction of student body elections and recommended extending the SHODH scholarship scheme for research scholars from two to three years, aligning it with the UGC NET.
ABVP Demanded Strict Measures to Curb Tragedies
Furthermore, the students’ body demanded swift action and stricter measures to prevent tragedies such as the Vadodara Harni Lake incident, the Morbi bridge collapse, the Rajkot fire accident, and the Khyati hospital case. It also condemned incidents of sexual harassment against women in Gujarat, urging prompt punishment for the offenders.
The final resolution focused on increasing the number of government medical colleges in the state and called for strict measures to curb ragging in educational institutions.
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