Haryana Assembly passes Private Universities Amendment Bill amid security concerns

The BJP government introduced the Bill less than a month after investigators intensified scrutiny of a Faridabad-based university, following the blast outside the Red Fort. However, the legislation does not mention any institution, and during the Assembly discussion, no university was specifically named.

Haryana Higher Education Minister Mahipal Dhanda told the House that the Bill had been introduced keeping in view special circumstances. “Provisions have been made only to check wrong activities. Otherwise, there will be no interference in the functioning of any university.”

Dhanda said after reviewing various sections of the Haryana Private Universities Act, 2006, as amended over time, it was found necessary to revise several provisions, including Sections 34A, 34B, 44, 44A, and 46. “In Sections 44 and 44 A, no procedure has been prescribed for the dissolution of the university and appointment of the administrator in the university. Accordingly, it needs to be modified, and a new Section 44 B needs to be inserted to streamline the procedure for dissolution of the university and appointment of the administrator in the university by way of amendment. Further, the provisions of Section 46 also need to be streamlined so that the provisions may be broadened in the public interest…,” Dhanda said.

The minister added that some universities had begun introducing new courses, increasing intake, and altering course nomenclature without prior approval of the state government, misusing Sub-Section (3) of Section 34A. He said this section, therefore, required modification.