SHILLONG: In the wake of the controversy surrounding CMJ University, Union Minister for Human Resource Development MM Pallam Raju on Friday asserted that action would be taken against the University which has reportedly duped many students by issuing fake degrees and certificates.
“The Central Government would need the cooperation of the State Government for any action against the dubious University,” the Union Minister said while speaking on the sidelines of a function at Shillong College here.
Pointing out that the Union Government has always encouraged stringent action against dubious universities Raju cited the recent action taken by the University Grants Commission (UGC) on the Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM).
“As things stand at present, all that the UGC can do is to list CMJ University on their website as an institute of disrepute which is issuing fraudulent degrees,” he said.
Raju asserted that the Centre was taking all possible measures in terms of accreditation and regulatory bodies to tighten up the screws to ensure that quality in education is ensured.
“This is going to be the focus of the Government in the 12th Five Year Plan,” Raju said, while informing that the Central Government would come up with a law related to dubious institutes during the forthcoming monsoon session of Parliament.
The union Minister informed that the new scheme called Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) motivates states to strengthen their regulatory bodies in order to ensure quality education. He added that in order to ensure quality, it is important that the Central and the state governments act in tandem.
The Union Minister observed that there was a need for enhancing the capacity in higher education and for this reason the Centre in the 11th Five Year Plan had set up many central universities, IIMs, NITs and schools of planning and architecture.
“There is also need for supplementing this capacity from the private sector which is responding very well but of course there are some dubious institutions which are periodically listed on the UGC and the AICTE websites,” Raju said. “However, it is important that the quality factor is paramount in the way we impart education because today all over the country parents are anxious that their children receive quality education,” he said.
Earlier, Meghalaya Governor RS Mooshahary, the Visitor to CMJ University, asked the Chancellor of the University, Chandra Mohan Jha, to come out into the open and clarify his position on the charges of issuing fake PhD certificates.
“More cases have come to light. I have received complaints about the illegal activities of the University from Punjab, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Jha’s wrongdoings have spread across the country. Therefore, it is better he comes out in the open and clarify things,” Mooshahary said.
The Governor also informed that he has written to the governors of all states and union territories informing them about the CMJ University imbroglio.