When Ashok Goel, a veteran architect based in Delhi realised the GGSIPU (which comes under the Delhi government) was violating UGC’s notification by granting affiliations to DTC, he decided to file an RTI asking the UGC to confirm the legal status of degrees awarded to DTC students.

To UGC’s response that the degree would not be recognised, Goel again enquired if the UGC would stop the university from granting affiliations. UGC’s reply to that was:  “UGC will take action on receipt of specific complaint.”

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The CoA, writing to Goel, said, “First of all, it is clarified that no separate action-taken report is required to be prepared or maintained under the Architects Act, 1972, on the communications/representation received at this office. However, as regards your letter dated 01.12.2014 to the chairman, UGC, and vice chancellor, Guru Gobind Singh IP University, for their perusal and necessary action at their end since Council is not the competent authority to deal with matters related to affiliation with universities.”

Justifying the affiliation to DTC, Sunita Shiva, deputy registrar (affiliation), GGSIPU, said the university “is established by the government of NCT of Delhi vide ‘The Indraprastha Vishwavidyalaya Act 1998,’….Under section 5(21)(A), the university is empowered to establish and maintain colleges, institutions and such other centres of education, research, training and extension as deemed appropriate by the University and as per section 4(1) under this Act, the limits of the area within which the University shall exercise its power, shall be those of The National Capital Region Planning Board Act, 1985.”

On Goel’s question if action could be taken against GGSIPU for its reply, UGC responded with: “action has already been taken on your complaint (copy enclosed).”  The copy was a letter from UGC to the GGSIPU registrar, asking for a “comment on the complaint at the earliest.”

Why this special treatment for private colleges?