The University Grants Commission will not process any fresh applications for setting up deemed universities in the state for this academic year. Several top engineering colleges from the state have applied for the “deemed status” to make their own admissions and get exemption from Eamcet in the new academic year 2012-13. The decision has come as a relief to students and parents, as these colleges will now have to give admissions to engineering students based on merit secured in Eamcet this year for the fees prescribed by the government.
The “deemed status” enable colleges to conduct their own entrance tests and admissions, besides fixing their own fee structure. Gitam Engineering College, Vizag, and Koneru Lakshmaiah Engineering College, Guntur, which figure in the list of top colleges, have secured the “deemed status” in the recent past and are exempted from Eamcet admissions.
The UGC has stopped processing deemed university applications since 2009, based on a report submitted by the Tandon Committee, which blacklisted 44 deemed universities across the country, including Vignan University in Andhra Pradesh, for failing to comply with the norms on faculty and infrastructure. These blacklisted deemed universities challenged the decision in the Supreme Court. However, the case is still pending. Official sources in UGC say that the decision not to process fresh deemed varsity applications was taken since the apex court judgment over the issue is still pending and there is no clarity on how to proceed further.
Several engineering colleges, such as CBIT, Gokaraju Rangaraju, JBIT, MNR, Srinidhi, St. Mary’s and RGIT-Nandyal, are desperate to acquire a deemed status, to enjoy autonomy in matters of admission and fees. Interestingly, all these institutes are professional colleges that offer engineering, pharmacy, MBA and MCA courses. The expert committees of UGC and AICTE had completed the inspection process of all these institutes in 2008 and 2009 and recommended them for the deemed status.