The Gauhati University has endangered the career of nearly 74,000 students by collecting Rs 39 crore as admission fees from them by offering 21 unapproved courses through its distance learning center for seven years, confirmed Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).

The decisions of the CAG, postponed during the ongoing Winter Session of the Assam Assembly, also says that the oldest university of the northeast had submitted various false affirmations to the UGC, encouraging the commission that it will not begin any new distance course without approval.

The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), with support from the Distance Education Council (DEC), had recognized the Institute of Distance and Open Learning (IDOL) of Gauhati University (GU) in August 2010 for endeavoring eight courses for three years from 2010-11. It was clearly instructed that IDOL, GU shall not offer any other course through distance mode other than the eight courses, additionally, the approval was extended by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for five extra years from 2013-14 to 2017-18. GU offered 21 unapproved courses beyond the approved eight courses through ODL.

The official website to get insight on this matter is https://www.gauhati.ac.in/ .

It was also noted that the DEC and the IGNOU had explicitly stated in July 2013 that courses offered by the GU through distance mode other than the eight approved courses were not recognized by the DEC and such degrees were not valid for jobs in central government services.

Around 73,912 students enrolled in 19 courses out of 21 unapproved courses during the year 2010-11 to 2016-17 and the GU collected fees of Rs 39.06 crore on these unapproved courses.

Also, there was no admission to MSc-Mathematics and PGD-Insurance Management.

The Gauhati University had presented an affidavit to UGC “from time to time” ensuring the commission that it will not begin a new distance education program “without prior approval of UGC”, and in the prospect of recognition of such courses. “As such, the GU submitted fake affidavits for getting an extension of the recognition of IDOL,” it was said.

On being asked, GU replied in October 2017 and December 2018 that the unapproved courses were offered in anticipation of approval, but they were discontinued from the academic year 2017.

The fake affidavit submitted by the GU indicated that the university had not even proposed for such approval,” the report emphasized.