New Delhi: A CAG report on the functioning of Delhi govt universities from 2018-23, which was tabled during the Budget session in the Vidhan Sabha, has flagged irregularities that reflect policy vacuum, unregulated admissions, financial mismanagement, faculty shortages, lack of accreditation, outdated syllabi, delayed results and poor infrastructure in some institutions.Responding to the findings, education minister Ashish Sood on Friday said that the current govt is undertaking systemic reforms. He outlined plans for an integrated education ecosystem, including the Narela Education City, alongside student-focused initiatives such as scholarships, startup support and measures aimed at making institutions future-ready and globally competitive.Govt has taken steps to strengthen access and innovation in higher education between 2023 and 2025, he said. Sood mentioned scholarships worth Rs 44 crore to 3,014 students from the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). He also said that under the Campus to Market vision, efforts have been made to build a stronger startup ecosystem within educational institutions, with financial assistance extended to 100 startups to help translate ideas into viable ventures.Sood said that students secured drone orders worth over Rs 200 crore from Defence Research and Development Organisation, indicating growing industry linkages and applied innovation.He said young innovators were working on socially relevant solutions, citing the example of a student developing an eco-friendly sanitary pad. “This reflects a new vision, a new direction, and a new policy,” the minister said in the Vidhan Sabha.The CAG report noted that some universities operated for years without the mandatory accreditation from National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) or National Board of Accreditation (NBA). It highlighted acute faculty shortage, sometimes up to 60%, with senior posts vacant. The admission regulatory committee was constituted only in April 2023 after a delay of 16 years, the report mentioned.The findings also flagged delays in revising policy guidelines and in constituting the state fee regulatory committee.“It is surprising that Delhi Teachers University still functions from a school building, with only three students across three universities now and just 20 last year, reflecting poor planning. Delhi Sports University is also operating from six rooms in a school with 200-250 students but no clarity on their future, curriculum, degrees or faculty, while Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University was created by merging all polytechnic institutions,” said Sood. He urged that the report be referred to the public accounts committee.The CAG recommended that Delhi govt should formulate comprehensive policies on higher and technical education aligned with its broader vision, while universities should prepare long-term and annual plans based on their vision documents and review progress periodically.It said institutions should set timelines for NAAC/NBA accreditation, strengthen affiliation mechanisms and ensure timely fee notifications.The report also called for regular syllabus revision in line with industry needs, timely exam results and awarding of degrees, and a roadmap for consultancy and research aligned with societal and industrial requirements
