Kerala High Court Seeks UGC, AITC Stand On Plea Against Colleges Offering Foreign Collab Courses Sans Statutory Clearance

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday sought the stand of University Grants Commission and All India Council for Technical Education on colleges said to be offering B.Voc. Courses and courses in collaboration with Foreign Universities without obtaining all statutory and regulatory approvals required for conducting such courses. 

Justice Devan Ramachandran adjourned the matter to 27th September for completion of counter pleadings of all the parties and also extended the order directing the Mahatma Gandhi University at Kottayam to ensure that it offers and conducts B.Voc. courses only on the strength of required statutory clearances, including those from the University Grants Commission and All India Council For Technical Education till 27th September.

The Petition moved through Advocate Santhosh Mathew is filed seeking a detailed enquiry regarding the activities of 5 institutions in offering B.Voc. courses and courses affiliated with foreign universities to students in the State.

When the matter was taken up for hearing, Counsel appearing for respondents 5, 8,9,11 and 12, Advocate Brijesh Mohan, submitted before the Court their intention of engaging Senior Counsel Advocate Jaju Babu; thereby Court adjourned the matter for the completion of counter pleadings of all the parties. 

The petitioner, a public limited company which is running Training and Education Centres, challenged the offering B.Voc. Courses and courses in collaboration with Foreign Universities on the ground that these courses are being offered without obtaining all statutory and regulatory approvals required for conducting such courses.

In 2003, AITC had issued Regulations prohibiting foreign university/ institutions from establishing/ operating in India leading to award of diplomas/ degrees without its permission/ approval.

It is alleged that the petitioner's premises were being used by respondents 5,6,8 and 9 to illegally offer undergraduate and post-graduate courses conducted by the 11th respondent (International School of Creative Arts) and 12th respondent (Indian School of Commerce) without obtaining due approval and thereby jeopardising the future of innocent children.

The alleged that International Skills Development Corporation, Respondents 5, 6, 8, 9, 11 and 12 were also illegally offering B.Voc. Courses and courses in collaboration with Foreign Universities from the petitioner's premises without complying with the requirements for vocational courses under NSQF as laid down by UGC and AICTE.

Case Title: Nirmal Infopark(India) Ltd. v. State of Kerala & Ors.

Click Here To Read/Download The Order