The minimum land requirement criterion for setting up a university may be drastically slashed, with a panel constituted by the UGC recommending the sharing of facilities by institutions.
Some academics have termed the proposals a gateway to the privatisation and commercialisation of education.
The UGC on Friday uploaded the report of the six-member committee headed by Bharat Sharan Singh, the chairman of the Madhya Pradesh Private University Regulatory Commission. The panel was constituted to determine land requirements to establish higher educational institutions (HEIs) such as universities.
At present, the Centre asks states to provide 500 acres of contiguous land to set up a central university. However, states provide around 200 acres in keeping with the laws passed by respective state legislatures. The state university laws of Andhra Pradesh stipulate the requirement of 50 acres of land in urban areas for the establishment of a university campus while the laws in Bengal are silent on specific land requirements.
The panel’s recommendations, which also include the promotion of online education, come against the backdrop of the National Education Policy’s target to increase the enrolment rate in higher education from 27 per cent to 50 per cent by 2035. The UGC has already notified regulations to enable universities to allow students to earn up to 50 per cent credits from other institutions in the online mode. The panel has supported it.
The panel said 20 acres of land was adequate for setting up an HEI. Open space on the campus should be 40 per cent of the total area and a nearby HEI can share common spaces such as playground, gym and library, the panel said. The minimum land for an open university should be five acres. In metropolises and hilly areas, the land requirement would be 10 acres with 3 acres of open space.
Arun Kumar, secretary-general of the All India Federation of University and College Teachers’ Associations, said online education meant compromise with quality.
“The government has plans to set up a digital university too. They want to enrol students in online education courses where quality is not maintained,” Kumar said.
He said setting up universities on small patches of land would allow private players to set up institutions, leading to the commercialisation of education.
