Different States, Different Norms

Private universities have given a big push to India’s higher education. However, it’s an uphill task when it comes to setting up one as state legislations across the country have varying norms…

- Abhay Anand

With India housing nearly 330 private universities now, and the number expected to reach 500 by 2023, one would tend to believe that setting up such a university is an easy task. The reality is different. In the first place, each institution has to obtain permission from regulatory bodies such as AICTE, MCI, Bar Council of India, etc., as the case may be. The problem doesn’t end there. Though the University Grants Commission (UGC) regulates all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the country, each state has its own statutory norms for creation of these institutions and in most cases, these norms differ from one state to the other. Private universities, though established under the State Acts, are regulated by the UGC as per the provisions of the Establishment of and Maintenance of Standards in Private Universities Regulations, 2003.

Land norms

One of the basic provisions for establishing a private university is the possession of land by the sponsoring body, prior to applying for setting it up. This differs from state to state. Tamil Nadu, which recently introduced the Private University Bill, mandates possession of contiguous land of not less than 100 acres. For Uttar Pradesh, it is 50 acres, whereas it is 30 acres for Rajasthan and just 10-20 acres for Haryana.