A total of 17 state universities and nine private universities in Maharashtra are now listed as defaulters by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for their failure to appoint an ombudsperson to address student grievances.
The UGC recently released a comprehensive list of the defaulting universities in the state, cautioning them to make the necessary appointment within 30 days. Additionally, the universities were instructed to prominently display the particulars and contact details of the ombudsperson and Students Grievance Redressal Committee (SGRC) on their official websites and at noticeable locations on their campuses.
Notably, Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) is not featured in the list of defaulters. However, the names of several other prominent universities in Maharashtra have been included, drawing attention to their non-compliance with UGC guidelines.
Manish Joshi, the secretary of the UGC, informed TOI, “The UGC introduced the UGC (Redressal of Grievances of Students) Regulations, 2023, officially on April 11, 2023. Following this, universities were instructed to appoint an ombudsperson through a letter dated April 12, 2023, accompanied by multiple reminders. The publication of the list of non-compliant universities on the UGC website was also specified. Accordingly, the defaulters’ list has now been published.”
In a previous communication dated December 5, 2023, universities were once again urged to appoint an ombudsperson(s) and implement other provisions of the UGC Regulations by December 31, 2023. In an effort to combat student harassment on campus and address ragging issues, the UGC recently mandated Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to appoint ombudspersons for addressing student grievances. The list of defaulters across the country encompasses a central university, a deemed-to-be university, and several state and private universities.
Joshi emphasized, “The UGC is poised to take punitive action against defaulting universities in accordance with the provisions of the 2023 Regulations.
This includes withholding any grant allocated to the institution, declaring it ineligible for consideration for any assistance under any of the general or special assistance programs of the commission, among other measures.”