Every private and deemed university in the country will be audited !
The Supreme Court has ordered an audit of private and deemed universities across the country. The court has directed the central government, all states and union territories, and the University Grants Commission (UGC) to submit personally signed affidavits following the audit.
How the universities were established, who controls them, what kind of regulatory approvals have been given to them and whether these universities really run on a not-for-profit basis – all this information will have to be shared in the affidavit.
The university did not adopt the changed name
Ayesha Jain, a 23-year-old MBA student at Amity University, filed a petition. She is studying entrepreneurship there. Until 2021, her name was Khushi Jain. In 2021, due to personal reasons, she changed her name to Ayesha Jain. She subsequently had the new name published in the Gazette of India. This is a legal process for changing her name. Now, all documents, such as her Aadhaar card, have her name changed to Ayesha Jain.
In 2023, Ayesha enrolled in a certificate program at Amity University. She completed the course and received a certificate. In 2024, Ayesha enrolled in Amity University’s MBA program, submitting all legal documents. The university refused to change her name in its records. Ayesha alleged that she was mistreated for having a Muslim name. Due to this, she failed to meet the minimum attendance criteria and could not take her exams. This resulted in a wasted year.
The student alleges that after this she approached the Ministry of Education and UGC with her complaint but the university did not pay any attention to the mails sent in this regard.
The student received a compensation of Rs 1 lakh.
When the matter reached the court, the court ordered Amity University Vice Chancellor Dr. Atul Chauhan to appear. The court told him that the student had lost an entire year and that the Vice Chancellor should find a solution. However, Ayesha had secured admission elsewhere, and Amity University refunded her fees.
The court then ordered the university to compensate the student for losing her entire year. The university awarded her ₹1 lakh in compensation.
The court converted the matter into a PIL.
On November 20, the Supreme Court converted the case into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). A bench of Justices Amanullah and N.V. Anjaria ordered an investigation into the formation, establishment, and operation of all private universities. The court linked this to student rights and transparency in higher education.
The court has clarified that this responsibility cannot be delegated to a junior officer. Top officials must take responsibility for this themselves. Strict action will be taken against those providing incorrect or incomplete information. The next hearing in the case will be on January 8, 2025. All affidavits must be submitted before then.
