New Delhi, June 4: Human resource development minister Kapil Sibal has ordered a review of over 100 institutions controversially granted deemed-to-be university status despite dubious standards, mostly under his predecessor Arjun Singh.

Sibal today ordered the University Grants Commission to probe the functioning of each existing deemed university within three months, and said all pending proposals for the status would be held in abeyance for this period.

In a terse letter to the UGC, the minister also questioned the commission’s implementation of repeated plans to make government accreditation mandatory for institutions, including deemed universities. The Telegraph has a copy of the letter.

Sibal’s move follows intervention from the PMO, which asked the HRD ministry for details of all deemed universities granted the status under Arjun, reported by this newspaper on May 24.

The paper had on April 28 revealed how Arjun, in his last days in office, allowed deemed universities to drop the prefix and claim to be varsities in all public pronouncements.

Indira Gandhi National Open University professor Kapil Kumar had on May 20 filed a petition in Delhi High Court against the decision.

Kumar argued that the government’s move would confuse ordinary students into believing deemed varsities were full-fledged universities.

“The high court petition, coupled with the pressure from the PMO, made it almost impossible for the HRD ministry not to take action against deemed universities,” a senior HRD ministry official said.

India has 125 deemed universities — higher educational institutions that are recognised by the UGC as those with potential to some day grow into full-fledged universities.

To ensure accountability, universities — public or private — can only be set up in India through acts of Parliament or a state legislature.

Under Section 3 of the UGC Act, however, the commission enjoys the right to grant institutions deemed-to-be-university status.

In 2004, when the UPA first came to power, India had 20 deemed universities, mostly top government-funded research institutions like the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and a few renowned private institutions.

Under Arjun, the number witnessed an explosion from 20 to 125, including some hurriedly granted the status during the last days of his term.

Brand new institutions were granted deemed university status in at least two dozen cases.

The sharp rise in the number of deemed universities — many of which secretly or openly charge capitation fees and violate other laws and Supreme Court orders — triggered questions on the policy.

At the start of the Eleventh Five Year Plan, UGC chairman Sukhdeo Thorat had promised to make it mandatory for all institutions, including deemed universities, to get government accreditation.

The National Accreditation and Assessment Council, the UGC’s accreditation wing, would scrutinise all institutions and rate and rank them to help students pick a choice, Thorat said.

But Sibal, in his letter today, questioned the implementation of the UGC promise, and ordered that the commission “specifically report on what is the status on accreditation” of each deemed university.

Sibal has also asked for details on whether deficiencies in institutions pointed out during UGC inspections had been rectified.