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Rai Foundation approaches DU, Indraprastha Varsity

Staff Reporter

SC allows erstwhile private universities to seek affiliation

NEW DELHI: Following the recent Supreme Court clarification in which erstwhile private universities were allowed to seek affiliation from the existing State universities, the Rai Foundation has applied to Delhi University and Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University seeking affiliation for its study centres in the Capital.

Earlier, all private universities operating in Chhattisgarh, including the Rai Foundation, were declared ultra vires by the Supreme Court in February following a petition from Professor Yashpal in which it was said that most of such private universities were non-existent.

However, in order to protect the interests of the students, the Supreme Court had allowed these erstwhile universities to seek affiliation to the existing universities of Chhattisgarh State.

In its application for affiliation, the Rai Foundation had sought to get all its study centres across the country attached to the universities in Chhattisgarh. But, it was denied on grounds that universities of Chhattisgarh State cannot accord affiliation to centres beyond the boundaries of the State.

The petition in this regard by the Rai Foundation was also dismissed by the Supreme Court in April. The Foundation, however, again challenged the decision in the Supreme Court. The lawyers for the Foundation argued that the future of students enrolled in study centres across the country was at stake due to the rejection of application for affiliation in universities existing in Chhattisgarh State.

In its judgement on Wednesday, the Supreme Court observed that the petition filed by Prof. Yashpal did not mention that some of the universities had opened centres all over the country.

The Court said: "We... clarify that while making the aforesaid observation (that universities may seek affiliation to existing State universities), it was not meant that affiliation must necessarily be sought only with an already existing State university in Chhattisgarh. The institutions of erstwhile private universities, if otherwise eligible, may apply and seek affiliation with any other university which has jurisdiction over the area where the institution is functioning... "

The founder chairman of the Rai University, V.N. Rai, said that in the wake of the clarification, the University will also make similar applications in other States also. He said the study centres will follow the curricula of the University which grants the affiliation.

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Rai Foundation approaches DU, Indraprastha Varsity

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