Defunct and on sale. Those are the 60-odd ‘universities’ in the state. After the previous Congress government went all out recognising private universities, in an endeavour to boost education, the present government has sealed the fate of many universities, that were being run from a room or two.Of the 108 universities — 11 on paper — which Chhattisgarh had, only 37 meet the parameters set out by the Raman Singh government. Today, many unrecognised universities have filed cases and await court orders. Some others are on sale.Local newspapers are brimming with ads.In the past three months, over a dozen leading business groups from UP, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Bangalore, Delhi and Tamil Nadu have visited Raipur to finalise takeover deals. But the state government insists it will only consider fresh proposals. All defunct ones will have to go.Says a senior Higher Education Department official: ‘‘Barring eight or nine private universities, others have no more than 40 to 50 students in a dozen odd courses. Till they establish a proper campus or create infrastructure, they would not be able to compete with others.’’Minister for Higher Education Ajay Chandrakar said: ‘‘We have already got affected students shifted to private universities fulfilling the mandatory parameters. It’s about survival of the fittest. Only those meeting the norms will continue, others have to go.”
