CHENNAI: Over 40 deemed universities nationwide, including 13 in Maharashtra and 11 in Tamil Nadu, were found to be ‘‘deficient’’ in certain aspects by the same HRD ministry panel which has recommended that 44 of the worst be stripped of their special status. The Tandon committee’s report, sourced by TOI, is likely to come up for discussion before the Supreme Court again on Monday. Managements of private educational institutions are keen to contest the panel’s findings.

The committee had classified 126 deemed universities into three categories — Table I comprising 38 good institutions, Table II with 44 institutions which need to rectify certain deficiencies, and Table III listing another 44 institutions whose status is sought to be revoked.

Prominent institutes in the second category include some reputed private colleges and even government-funded bodies like National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA) in Delhi, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology in Kerala, Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management in Gwalior and Institute of Liver and Biliary Science in Delhi.

According to the panel’s recommendations, these universities would need to rectify the deficiencies over a three-year period ‘‘to transit into the first category (of good institutions) for their continuation as deemed universities’’.

‘‘We must confess that institutions listed in Table II also need to take comprehensive corrective steps urgently in respect of several parameters... we have placed these institutions in Table II because there is scope for their improvement to meet the requirements expected to retain the status of a university. But they must undergo a rigorous independent review after three years to justify their continuation as universities,’’ the committee has said.

But the panel’s recommendations have already come in for some flak because they did not carry out a physical inspection of the facilities in any of the colleges.

-- IANS