The Haryana government has decided to audit all 24 institutions following allegations that some of the state’s private colleges were not adhering to the law. This decision was made in light of the fact that Ashoka University has been served with a show-cause notice by the State Higher Education Department for allegedly engaging in financial embezzlement by failing to admit enough students from the state or grant them fee waivers as required by the Haryana Private Universities Act-2006. The university has refuted the allegation.
According to Additional Chief Secretary for Higher Education Anand Mohan Sharan, the audit would include financial, academic and administrative factors. ‘It is provided under the Act that an annual audit of universities is to be conducted. We have taken a decision to do it. The modalities and the points on which the audit shall be conducted are being drafted. We are also considering the agency that would be hired for conducting the audit. It could be the Accountant General Office or a central government agency. The entire process shall be completed in a fortnight’, said Sharan.
In response to the show-cause notice, the university rejected the government’s charges on July 6. According to Ashoka University, the institution complies with all requirements set out in the Private Universities Act.
Sharan further revealed that another SRM University, also located in Sonipat, had received a show-cause notice for starting its courses without the government’s prior sanction. The department stated that it has received the university’s response, which is under examination.
Sharan further explained the reasons behind the move to initiate an audit, ‘It is a requirement under the Act, but was not being done. In the interest of the youth, the audit has to be conducted on an annual basis. The state government has made the compliance checks stringent as more and more private universities are coming up’.
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