DIMAPUR, MAY 28 (MExN): The Chandra Mohan Jha (CMJ) University, Meghalaya, has no permission from the UGC or the Supreme Court to set up an off-campus centre, claims the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF). Yet such a campus of the university has been operational in Chumukedima since 2012 and has even passed 37 students out through various courses. Having learnt of its recent controversies, the NSF has intervened.
“The CMJ off-campus centre in Chumukedima was established in total violation of The Gazette of Meghalaya which stated that there was no provision for the University to have regional centres/off-campus centre(s) beyond the territorial jurisdiction of Meghalaya. The Governor of Meghalaya through The Gazette had ordered for immediate closure of any such off-campus centre outside Meghalaya. The CMJ University is also not allowed to have any affiliated colleges,” stated the NSF in a press release from NSF President Tongpang Ozukum and General Secretary Easther Rakho.
The NSF observed that the off-campus centre at Chumukedima is run without any sign board of the private university. This is, stated the NSF, because setting up an off-campus centre is not permissible to this university under the UGC (Establishment of and Maintenance of Standards in Private University) Regulations, 2003 and the decision of Supreme Court (2005).
The NSF met the Academic Counsellor of the CMJ centre here, Dr. M. Chuba Ao, on Tuesday and demanded three points to be complied with until the “controversy” surrounding the private university is resolved: not to take any new admissions, not to run the classes and to refund all the fees to newly admitted students within one month starting from May 28, 2013.
Yet, as per the press release, the CMJ centre in Chumukedima is offering courses in BA, MA, B.Ed and M.Ed with admission fees starting from Rs. 33, 000/-. This year, around 40 students have already taken admission at the centre. The NSF has demanded for a list of all those passed out and newly admitted students with proper details, contact numbers, addresses and amount of fees paid to each.
The Academic Counsellor has complied with all the above demands, stated the NSF. All those students who have taken new admission in the off campus centre of CMJ at Chumukedima have been informed to take back their money from the centre at Chumukedima within one month.
In case the students face any problem with the centre in reclaiming the fees, they have been requested to contact the NSF office for taking up the matter.
The NSF has appealed to the Nagaland government to come up with strong policies in this regard as “an increasing number of private educational institutions with questionable motives and credibility are mushrooming across the state.” Nagaland has past experiences of fake educational institutions and the NSF has said it will strictly check such cases and take up all pending issues.
The Federation has advised students to be more vigilant and well-informed whenever taking admissions in any educational institution. Meanwhile, the NSF is in touch with its counterpart in Meghalaya and appropriate authorities to look into the grievances of the affected students of off campus centre CMJ, Chumukedima.
