HRD Ministry Questions Mody Institute over Surrender of Deemed Status

Mody Institute of Education & Research in Rajasthan is surrounded by questions and most of them have been raised by the Union HRD Ministry. Although it is named amongst the most popular private deemed university, the institution has voluntarily decided to surrender the deemed to be university status.

The institution found shelter under the Rajasthan Government in 2013. It has converted itself into a private university of the state and filed a request for surrender of the deemed status three years later.

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According to the Tandon committee in 2009, the Mody Institute of Education & Research in Sikar, Rajasthan is one of the 44 deemed varsities that lagged far behind in terms of the quality parameters set for the university.

The committee had recommended blacklisting the institution along with other universities that lacked the essential resources. However, the university still holds the deemed university status. The HRD ministry is now raising the question that how did a deemed university convert itself into a state private university without the approval of the Centre.

Although UGC has given its nod for the surrender of the deemed varsity status, HRD Ministry is furious about the sudden change of interest. The ministry has said that such a move will not be in favour of the students as they must have taken admission on the grounds that the university has deemed status.

The corpus fund of the institute has also been questioned by the university as now the status of the university has been changed. The institute had completed the formalities and changed its status to become the Mody University of Science and Technology in September 2013.

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Cases of voluntary surrender of deemed university status have been rare. Apart from Mody Institute of Education & Research, only one other university had surrendered i.e. Manav Rachna International University, Haryana. This university was also among the 44 universities suggested by the Tandon committee.