NEW DELHI: Delhi may soon join the list of states that permit private universities, with govt preparing to table Private Universities Bill during the upcoming assembly session.The proposed legislation seeks to establish a statutory framework for private universities in the national capital. Delhi’s present legislation does not have such a framework, forcing private higher education institutions to operate either as deemed-to-be universities or as colleges affiliated with Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University.A senior Delhi govt official said, “The new law will provide eligible institutions with a clear legal route to evolve into universities. This will encourage more academic and research investment.” TERI School of Advanced Studies, NCERT and Jamia Hamdard fall under ‘deemed university’.As per UGC, a regular university is established directly by an Act of Parliament or state legislature. A deemed or deemed-to-be university receives university-equivalent status from govt based on high academic standards.NCR has seen several big private universities being set up over the past decade as Haryana and UP enacted laws enabling private universities, leading to the emergence of several large institutions in Gurgaon, Noida, Greater Noida and Sonipat.Delhi govt official said the proposal to permit private universities is in line with National Education Policy 2020, which advocates institutional autonomy and multidisciplinary education.Education minister Ashish Sood confirmed the development. He said, “The proposal is under consideration.” He, however, did not elaborate on the provisions.Senior officials said that govt wants to get the proposal cleared by cabinet and get the bill passed this session, but in case of delay, it could be taken up in the next session. “Regardless, this is the direction in which we plan to move,” he said.Among the institutions likely to benefit are self-financing colleges affiliated with GGSIPU. Another official said, “Many have established themselves in professional education over the past two decades and have invested in modern campuses, research facilities and industry partnerships. Several of them have also secured autonomous status from UGC, enabling them to independently design curricula, introduce new programmes and conduct examinations,” he said.However, autonomy for institutions, as envisaged by UGC, has remained a grey area in Delhi. In 2017, Delhi University had met the governing body chairpersons of six of its constituent colleges, including St Stephen’s College, Hindu College and Shri Ram College of Commerce, and asked them to apply to UGC, amid criticism from their staff. The matter is currently pending before the courts.
