By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: It was a scam waiting to happen. Now the lid has blown off the CMJ University’s illegal mode of functioning. Governor RS Mooshahary, who is also the Visitor to this University, on Tuesday directed that no fresh admission of students shall be undertaken by the CMJ university till the appointment of a Chancellor.
Mooshahary issued a series of directions to the CMJ University and asked them to submit a fresh proposal for the appointment of the Chancellor and withdraw all the degrees awarded so far.
Taking strong note of the drawbacks, the Governor has asked the University to submit a compliance report within May 21, 2013.
In the directive issued to the Chairman of the CMJ Foundation, Chandra Mohan Jha, the Governor was of the view that the Chancellor appointed by the University does not have the approval of the Visitor, which is illegal and is in violation of the CMJ University Act, 2009.
It may be mentioned that in the proposal submitted earlier in 2009, the bio-data of the recommended candidate, Chandra Mohan Jha, was enclosed stating that he is the Director of a number of colleges within and outside Meghalaya without clearly indicating their University affiliation. One of these colleges, the Shillong Engineering and Management College was ‘de-affiliated’ by NEHU with effect from academic session 2011-2012.
According to letter of the Governor, the CMJ University has so far enrolled as many as 2734 students in 2012-2013, 469 in 2011-2012 and 176 in 2010-2011 in various courses.
The Governor directed the University to recall and withdraw all the degrees awarded so far and publish this fact in national and local dailies at their own cost.
He also pointed out that the University has awarded Ph.D degrees to 434 students during 2012-2013 and has enrolled 490 students for the Ph.D programme during 2012-2013 with only 10 teachers with Ph.D qualification.
“These enrolments and award of Ph.D degrees are in contravention of the UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Awards of M.Phil/Ph.D degree) Regulation, 2009,” the Governor added.
The CMJ University has also been directed to frame rules and procedures for admission into the M.Phil and Ph.D degree programmes, allocation of supervisor, course work, evaluation, assessment and other related matters in accordance with the UGC Regulation.
According to the letter, the University also issued false and misleading newspaper advertisement on April 22 last claiming that the University has not yet awarded any Ph.D degree to any of the students enrolled from the State of Assam.
Mooshahary, while speaking to this correspondent, said each time he visits Assam people taunt him about being a Visitor to a University which literally sells Ph.D degrees. He also informed that the University has failed to submit its annual reports, which is a violation of the University Act, 2009.
It may be informed that another University in Jorabat/ Khanapara, the Mahatma Gandhi University, also has dubious antecedents. Housed in a decrepit, ramshackle building no one knows how the University is functioning. Mooshahary said that he is not the Visitor to this University.
The question then is, if not the Governor than who is the Visitor?
The presence of these ‘fake’ universities has created a bad image for other Universities that are functioning according to norms like the Regional Institute of Science and Technology (RIST), Khanapara and other private universities.
Observers feel that the State Government should have formed a Regulatory body to oversee the functioning of these universities. Those in the know allege that CMJ University enjoys the patronage of top politicians in the State and have therefore been able to flout all norms without being penalised.