University Grants Commission to bring minimum mandatory disclosures for varsities, colleges

UGC proposes mandatory disclosure of HEI info on website. Must provide details of programmes, accreditation, student support services, links to portals, helpline number, ombudsperson, equal opportunity cell, SEDG. UGC has prepared checklist for universities to provide basic info on website. Most universities in State lack basic info, only TANUVAS provides faculty details with photo and contact numbers.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has proposed to make it mandatory for all higher educational institutions (HEIs) to disclose all details on their website about their status, officers, prospectus, fee structure and fee refund policy. The institutions must include the photo of the faculty and their contact numbers as well.

The document would be placed in the public domain for feedback, UGC officials said.

According to the new rule, HEIs must provide details of programmes offered, institutional development plans, accreditation and ranking besides academic calendar. Institutions must upload information about MoUs, industry and foreign collaborations; and publications and patents, where applicable.

The new rules require colleges and universities to give detailed disclosure of student support services such as hostels, and details of fellowships and scholarships. The institutions must provide link to academic bank of credits, digi locker NAD portal and the national scholarship portal.

UGC has created a separate division for campus harmony and wellbeing, Institutions are required to provide link to the e-Samadhaan portal, students grievance redressal committee, internal quality assurance cell and internal complaints committee besides displaying the helpline number for anti-ragging cell. The HEI must also provide details of ombudsperson, equal opportunity cell and socio-economically disadvantaged group cell (SEDG). 

“Of late, different stakeholders in higher education system like prospective students, parents, research scholars, government officials, alumni and public at large desire to seek certain basic information from the websites of different Universities/HEI’s. We have found that the websites of several universities lack not only basic minimum information related to their university but also at many times their websites are not functional and updated. This causes a lot of inconvenience and uncertainty to the stakeholders. At this defining moment when we are celebrating the third year of National Education Policy 2020 it would be prudent to desire from the Universities to provide basic minimum information and updated content on their website. We have prepared a check list of information to be provided by the universities on their websites,” said M. Jagadesh Kumar, Chairman, UGC. 

The demands made by the UGC are not fulfilled by most universities in the State. For instance, the University of Madras, the oldest institution in the State, offers email id with its website only for a few top officials. The details of directors/deans of various departments are provided but with the landline contact number.