Aggrieved youths demand legal action against Gauhati University

21 UNAPPROVED IDOL COURSES

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Many aggrieved youths have demanded the State Government to take legal actions against Gauhati University which risked the career prospects of 70,000 plus students by offering 21 unapproved courses.

The latest report of Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (CAG) tabled recently in Assam Assembly, has stated that GU risked the career prospects of 73, 912 students by offering 21 unapproved courses through its Institute of Distance and Open Learning (IDOL) centres during 2010-2017 without the approval of the University Grants Commission (UGC).

“I am one of the victims. I have spent money, time and energy to study one of such unapproved courses. When I was pursuing the course, I did not have a pinch of feeling and idea that it was an unapproved one. I feel disgusted now. I want to ask GU authorities whether they could return my time, energy, devotion as well money to study the unapproved course,” Samsul Alam (name changed) who is now working in a private company said.

Anup Lahkar (name changed) said the unapproved courses have put professional careers of many youths in risk. “Many of us pursued IDOL courses when we were working simultaneously. We pursued such courses to enhance our professional skills. Now everything seems to fade away,” Lahkar said.

Alam, Lahkar and many others who pursued the unapproved courses are now planning to move the State Government to take legal actions against GU. “If the State Government does not act, we will move the Court,” an aggrieved student said.

Meanwhile, GU has constituted a seven-member committee to look into the latest report of CAG.

In its report, CAG categorically said GU had filed false affidavits to extend recognition of IDOL. It observed that 73,912 students were enrolled in 19 of the 21 “unapproved” courses from 2010-11 to 2016-17 and the university collected fees amounting to Rs 39.06 crore from them.

Considering the seriousness of the CAG revelation, GU authority is planning to conduct a probe into the matter by another commission. “We will constitute another exclusive committee to probe the CAG findings,” a source in GU said.

The CAG report said the matter was reported to the government in August 2018 but it is still awaiting a reply.

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