Union Education Minister has released the UGC (Institutions Deemed to be Universities) Regulations, 2023, which will replace the 2019 guidelines. The revised guidelines have simplified the eligibility criteria in order to establish more quality-focused deemed universities.

Deemed Universities -

Ø  The term deemed university refers to institutions of higher education that have been granted the status of a university by the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education.

Ø  Deemed universities are autonomous institutions that have the authority to award degrees and diplomas in their own name.

Ø  There are around 170 deemed institutions in the country currently.

Ø  They enjoy certain privileges and have the freedom to design their own curriculum, conduct admissions, and set their own academic standards.

Ø  The status of a deemed university is granted to an institution based on its overall academic excellence, research contributions, and infrastructure.

Ø  Typically, these institutions focus on specific areas of study such as engineering, medicine, management, arts, and sciences.

Ø  These universities are subject to periodic reviews by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to ensure compliance with regulations.

Background -

Ø  The UGC Act provides for the central government to declare any institution other than a university the status of institution deemed to be university.

Ø  The first set of regulations in this regard was notified in 2010 and these were subsequently revised in 2016 and 2019.

New Guidelines -

Framed on the principle of a "light but tight” —

Ø  The new rules are built on the principle of a "light but tight" regulatory framework envisioned in the National Education Policy 2020.

Changed criteria —

Under the 2019 guidelines, the higher education institutions having existence for not less than 20 years were eligible for applying for the status.

In the revised guidelines, it has been replaced with —

Ø  multi-disciplinarity,

Ø  NAAC grading,

Ø  NIRF ranking and

Ø  NBA grading.

Ø  It means any multi-disciplinary institution will be able to apply for the deemed status if they have

Ø  valid accreditation by NAAC with at least 3.01 cumulative grade point average (CGPA) for three consecutive cycles,

Ø  NBA accreditation for two-thirds of eligible programmes for three consecutive cycles or

Ø  in the top 50 of any specific categories of NIRF for the last three years continuously.

Ø  Hence, higher education institutions which are less than 20 years old will now be eligible to apply for deemed university status, provided they fulfil the above criteria.

Ø  A cluster of institutions managed by more than one sponsoring body or a society can also apply for deemed to be university status.

Deemed status under the Distinct Institution category —

Ø  The new regulation also introduces the "Distinct Institution" category.

Ø  However, to get recognition under this category, the applicants must establish (to the satisfaction of the Expert Committee of Commission) that the institution is engaged in:

Ø  teaching and research in unique disciplines and/or

Ø  addressing the strategic needs of the country or

Ø  the preservation of Indian cultural heritage or preservation of the environment or

Ø  skill development or dedicated to sports or languages or any other discipline.

Criteria to set up off-campus centres —

Ø  Deemed universities with minimum ‘A’ grade and above or ranked from 1 to 100 in the universities category of NIRF rankings of the relevant year are eligible to set up off-campus centres.

Ø  Institutions declared as deemed to be university under a distinct category can apply for off-campus after five years of their declaration if they are accredited with an A grade or figured in the top 100 in the 'universities' category of NIRF.

Other criteria —

Ø  Among other criteria that have been changed are —

Ø  the faculty strength has been increased from 100 to 150,

Ø  corpus fund for private institutions has been increased from Rs 10 crore to Rs 25 crore, and

Ø  creation of an executive councils like central universities in these universities as well.

Ø  Deemed universities must register on Academic Bank of Credits (ABC).

Ø  ABC is a virtual/digital storehouse that contains the information of the credits earned by individual students throughout their learning journey.

Government-owned engineering consultancy firm Engineers India (EIL) is studying the prospects and feasibility of developing salt cavern-based strategic oil reserves in Rajasthan. If the idea comes to fruition, India could get its first salt cavern-based oil storage facility. This is in line with the government’s objective of increasing the country’s strategic oil storage capacity. 

What is Salt Cavern-based Storage?

Ø  Underground storage caverns are used to store very large quantities of unrefined petroleum and natural gas.

Ø  These underground caverns are cavities that have been “mined” out of naturally occurring salt domes. Approximately 7% of total underground natural gas storage capacity is in Salt Caverns.

Ø  Salt caverns are developed by the process of solution mining, which involves pumping water into geological formations with large salt deposits to dissolve the salt.

Salt Cavern-based Storage v/s Rock Cavern-based Storage -

Ø  Rock caverns are large man-made spaces in the rock and are considered the safest means of storing hydrocarbons.

Ø  In comparison to rock caverns, salt caverns are considered cheaper and less labour- and costintensive.

Ø  Salt cavern-based oil storage facilities are also naturally well-sealed, and engineered for rapid injection and extraction of oil.

Ø  This makes them a more attractive option than storing oil in other geological formations.

Ø  The entire strategic petroleum reserve programme of the United States has so far been based on salt cavern-based storage facilities. In comparison, India’s all 3 strategic petroleum reserves are made up of excavated rock caverns.

Potential in India for storing crude, petroleum products -

Ø  Rajasthan, which has the bulk of requisite salt formations in India, is seen as the most conducive for developing salt cavern-based strategic storage facilities.

Ø  A refinery is coming up in Barmer, and Rajasthan has crude pipelines as well; such infrastructure is conducive for building strategic oil reserves.

Ø  However, no Indian company, including EIL, had the requisite technical know-how to build salt cavern-based strategic hydrocarbon storage.

Ø  This gap in access to technology has been bridged by EIL’s recent partnership with Germany’s DEEP.KBB GmbH — a company that specialises in cavern storage and solution mining technology.

India’s Strategic Petroleum Reserves -

Ø  A strategic reserve is the reserve of a commodity or items that is held back from normal use by governments, in pursuance of a particular strategy or to cope with unexpected events.

Ø  Countries keep strategic reserves of crude oil to meet the immediate demand in times of crisis or unexpected events.

Ø  India, the world’s third-largest consumer of crude, depends on imports for more than 85% of its requirement.

Ø  Government of India through Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Ltd. (ISPRL) under Phase–1 has setup Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) at three locations with a capacity of 5.33 MMT (million metric ton) –

Ø  Vishakhapatnam (1.33 MMT),

Ø  Mangaluru (1.50 MMT) and

Ø  Padur (2.5 MMT)

Ø  Taking advantage of low crude oil prices in April-May 2020, the government completely filled these reserves, leading to estimated savings of around Rs 5,000 crore.

Ø  These three SPRs can meet approximately 9.5 days of national demand.

Ø  Apart from SPRs, India’s oil marketing companies (OMCs) have storage facilities for crude oil and petroleum products for 64.5 days — which means there is sufficient storage to meet around 74 days of the country’s petroleum demand.

Comparison with other Countries —

Ø  The top three countries in terms of such reserves for crude oil are the US, China and Japan.

Ø  Between them, they have 1500 million barrels. At an average daily global consumption of 95 million barrels a day, that’s roughly 20-odd days of oil.

Phase-2 of SPR Programme -

Ø  Under Phase-2 of the programme, government has given in-principle approval for construction of additional SPR facilities at two locations (Chandikhol (4 MMT) and Padur (2.5 MMT)).

Ø  In the second phase of the programme, the government wants to develop strategic reserves through public-private partnerships so as to reduce government spending and exploit the commercial potential of the reserves.

Ø  India has also decided to commercialise its SPRs. As part of this, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) stored about 0.8 million tonnes of crude oil in the Mangaluru strategic reserve.

Questions related to anaemia are slated to be dropped from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) scheduled to begin on July 6. The omission comes after health experts questioned the efficacy of the method being used to estimate haemoglobin levels. 

About Anaemia -

Ø  According to the World Health Organization (WHO), anaemia is a condition in which the number of red blood cells or the haemoglobin concentration within them is lower than normal.

Ø  Haemoglobin is needed to carry oxygen.

Ø  If there are too few red blood cells, or not enough haemoglobin, there will be a decreased capacity of the blood to carry oxygen to the body’s tissues.

Ø  This results in symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, dizziness and shortness of breath among others.

Factors —

Ø  The most common nutritional cause of anaemia is iron deficiency although deficiencies in folate, vitamins B12 and A are also important causes.

Ø  Certain chronic diseases, such as kidney disease, liver disease, cancer, or autoimmune disorders, can interfere with the production of red blood cells.

Ø  Inherited conditions, such as sickle cell anaemia or thalassemia, affect the structure or function of red blood cells, leading to chronic anaemia.

India’s anaemia burden -

Ø  India’s anaemia burden has grown alarmingly with NFHS-5 (2019-21) finding that —

Ø  57% of women in the age group 15-49 and

Ø  67% children between six months and 59 months are anaemic (from the corresponding 53% and 58.6% respectively in NFHS-4 (2015-16)).

Ø  The Health Ministry has noted that anaemia is a public health challenge.

What prompted the change?

WHO cut-offs for haemoglobin may not be suited to India —

The WHO defines —

Ø  anaemia in children aged under five years and pregnant women as a haemoglobin concentration <110 g/L at sea level, and

Ø  anaemia in non-pregnant women as a haemoglobin concentration <120 g/L.

Ø  Experts had cautioned that there is a danger of anaemia being over-diagnosed in India as it follows WHO cut-offs for haemoglobin.

Ø  This may not be suited to India, because the cut-off point depends on the age, gender, physiological status, altitude and other factors.

Differences in the way blood is drawn for sampling in NFHS —

Ø  Various studies also pointed to differences in the way blood is drawn for sampling in NFHS.

Ø  The NFHS survey measured haemoglobin in a drop of capillary blood that oozes from a finger prick.

Ø  This, as per the report, can dilute the blood and give a falsely lower value.

Ø  The recommended method of venous blood sampling, as per the report, gives a more accurate value.

Shift in assessment of anaemia in India -

Ø  According to the Health Ministry, assessment of anaemia in India is being shifted to the new Diet and Biomarkers Survey in India (DABS-I).

Ø  DABS-I was launched in December 2022 to map diet, nutrition and health status and provide the correct estimate of anaemia among the rural and urban population.

Ø  The survey will define food and nutrient adequacy by collecting individual dietary intake data of different age groups of people.

Ø  The study will also provide nutrient composition data on cooked and uncooked foods from various regions of the country for the first time.

Why the focus is on anaemia?

Ø  Data on anaemia remains an important indicator of public health due to following reasons —

Ø  Impact on morbidity and morality — Anaemia is related to morbidity and mortality in the population groups usually considered to be the most vulnerable — pregnant women and children under five.

Ø  Effect on reproductive health — A prevalence study on anaemia is useful to monitor the progress of reproductive health.

Ø  Impact on economy — Also, iron-deficiency anaemia reduces the work capacity of individuals and entire populations, with serious consequences for the economy and national development.

India is concerned about European Union's new climate law Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). This new law could disrupt international trade, has potential to impact India-EU trade, and could affect LMICs (Lower Middle-Income Countries) and Developing Countries.

 EU's Climate Change Policy (ETS), Concern and CBAM -

Ø  Emissions Trading System (ETS) — Adopted in 2005, the ETS is a market-based mechanism that aims at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by allowing bodies emitting GHG to buy and sell these emissions amongst themselves.

EU’s Concerns Regarding ETS —

Ø  While it has a mechanism for its domestic industries, emissions embedded in products imported from other countries may not be priced in a similar way due to a lack of stringent policies in those countries.

Ø  This would put its industries at a disadvantage. To tackle this, the impacted industries in the EU had so far been receiving free allowances or permits under the ETS.

Ø  Furthermore, the EU also apprehends the phenomenon of ‘carbon leakage’ - European firms operating in carbon-intensive sectors might shift to those countries that have less stringent GHG emission norms.

Formulation of CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) —

Ø  CBAM is aimed at addressing above concerns, and, therefore, levelling the playing field for the EU industries.

Ø  Under the CBAM, imports of certain carbon-intensive products, namely cement, iron and steel, electricity, fertilisers, aluminium, and hydrogen, will have to bear the same economic costs borne by EU producers under the ETS.

Ø  The price to be paid will be linked to the weekly average of the emissions priced under the ETS.

Ø  However, where a carbon price has been explicitly paid for the imported products in their country of origin, a reduction can be claimed.

Issues with CBAM -

Discriminatory Law —

Ø  The CBAM only considers ‘explicit’ carbon prices, not ‘implicit’ costs (non-price-based costs) borne by products originating in certain countries.

Ø  Accordingly, it arbitrarily or unjustifiably discriminates between countries where the same environmental conditions exist.

Ø  Impact on Developing Countries — Without adequate assistance for newer technologies and finance, it would amount to levying taxes on developing countries.

India's Concern about CBAM -

Protectionist and Discriminatory —

Ø  India fears that CBAM will affect the export of its carbon-intensive products to the EU.

Ø  While India’s exports may be limited to aluminium, iron, and steel, and affect only 1.8% of its total exports to the EU, India has reportedly decried CBAM as being protectionist and discriminatory.

Ø  Unfair Advantage to EU companies over India Companies: CBAM could give an unfair advantage to EU domestic industries at the expense of Indian exporters.

Impact on India-EU Trade -

Ø  Demand Could Shrink — The EU accounts for 11.1% of India’s total global trade. This new climate law has the potential to make Indian goods less attractive for buyers and could shrink demand.

Ø  New Challenges for Companies — CBAM cause new challenges for companies with a large GHG footprints as they will have to incorporate new machinery and technology which will become an immediate challenge.

Possibility of challenging CBAM at the WTO -

Ø  There is already talk of challenging the CBAM at the WTO’s dispute settlement body.

Ø  The debate brings to the forefront the inter-linkages between trade and the environment.

Ø  While the international trade regime allows countries to adopt unilateral measures for safeguarding the environment, environmental protection should not become a smokescreen for trade protectionism.

Ø  The CBAM needs to be viewed from this standpoint and, therefore, most likely will be challenged.

Does CBAM violate WTO rules?

Ø  Whether the CBAM complies with WTO rules falls on two primary tests that it is -nonpreferential and reciprocal.

Ø  The foundational doctrine of the WTO, included in the most-favoured nation (MFN) language contained in Article I of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), is that a concession made to one must be made to all. This prohibits discrimination among countries.

Ø  Also,GATT Art III requires that any internal rules cannot provide preferential treatment to domestic goods or production over imported products.

Ø  The CBAM could therefore encounter difficulties by treating foreign-produced goods differently and by affording protection for domestic industry by subjecting foreign products to an import tariff.

Challenges Before WTO Panel -

Finding the Relevance of PPMs with respect to CBAM —

Ø  On the application of process and production methods (PPMs), the WTO has failed to take a sharp policy line.

Ø  It is thus possible that various applications of the CBAM could be individually litigated.

Ø  For example, a country could bring a complaint against the CBAM as a package or alternatively bring a complaint against the calculation methods used to assess the carbon content of a single commodity, such as steel.

Ø  Possibility of Case-by-Case Judgement in CBAM — For example, given that electric arc furnaces and blast furnaces are two extremely different types of technology, it might be simpler to decide that two products are not "like" in the case of steel.

EU’s Arguments in CBAM’s Defence -

Ø  The application of the CBAM is not inherently extraterritorial because it applies only to imports into the EU, even if it is aimed at encouraging higher environmental standards in third countries.

Ø  The tax paid by the importer will be equivalent to the cost of allowances EU producers will be forced to pay, such that the CBAM is not inherently discriminatory.

Ø  The EU could justify CBAM by invoking General Exceptions clause given in Article XX of the GATT. Under Article XX, measures taken by countries are permitted —

Ø  If they fall under one of the listed policy grounds (‘conservation of exhaustible natural resources’). CBAM would fall under this category.

Ø  If they satisfy the requirements of the introductory clause of Article XX, which requires that countries do not apply measures in a manner that results in arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination.

Conclusion -

CBAM is also an important issue in the ongoing India-EU free trade agreement. India should work with the EU to secure gains on CBAM and ensure smooth on boarding for Indian exporters to maximise the benefits of a bilateral deal.

A tussle between the Chief Minister of West Bengal and Governor came to the fore over the appointment of 10 senior professors as interim Vice-Chancellors (VC) of state-run universities.

 Role of Governor (Chancellor) in State Universities:

Ø  Ex-officio Chancellor: The Governor of the state serves as the ex-officio chancellor of the universities in that state.

Ø  Independent Decision-making: While functioning as the Chancellor, the Governor acts independently of the Council of Ministers and takes decisions on all university matters. In this role, the Governor has the authority to make decisions related to appointments, administration, and overall functioning of the universities.

Ø  Appointment of Vice Chancellor: The Governor (Chancellor) appoints the Vice Chancellor of the university from a panel of three to five names recommended by the Search cum Selection Committee. The Vice Chancellor is the academic and administrative head of the university.

Role of President (Visitor) in Central Universities:

Ø  Visitor of Central Universities: The President of India is designated as the Visitor of central universities.

Ø  Titular Head: The role of the President (Visitor) in central universities is more ceremonial or titular in nature. The President presides over convocations and represents the highest authority in the university.

Ø  Appointment of Vice Chancellor: The President (Visitor) appoints the Vice Chancellor of the central university from panels of names recommended by search and selection committees formed by the Union government. The Visitor has the power to seek a fresh panel of names if dissatisfied with the initial recommendations.

Ø  Authority to Inspect and Inquire: The President (Visitor) has the right to authorize inspections of academic and non-academic aspects of the universities and institute inquiries.

Hierarchy of Laws:

Ø  UGC Regulations vs. State University Act: In case of a conflict between the University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations and the State University Act, the UGC Regulations prevail to the extent that state legislation is repugnant. This ensures uniformity and adherence to national guidelines.

Ø  Parliament vs. State Law: According to Article 254(1) of the Indian Constitution, if a provision in a state law is contradictory to a provision made by the Parliament or an existing law regarding any matter in the Concurrent List, the law made by the Parliament takes precedence over the state law.

Ø  What is the Role of Vice-Chancellor?

Ø  The Vice-Chancellor (VC) holds a significant position in a university and has a range of roles and responsibilities. Here are some key aspects of the Vice-Chancellor’s role:

Principal Academic and Executive Officer:

Ø  The Vice-Chancellor is considered the principal academic and executive officer of the university.

Ø  They play a crucial role in overseeing and managing the overall functioning of the university, both in academic and administrative matters.

Bridge between Executive and Academic Wing:

Ø  The Vice-Chancellor acts as a bridge between the executive/administrative wing and the academic wing of the university.

Ø  They facilitate communication, coordination, and collaboration between these two areas to ensure effective operations and the achievement of the university’s goals.

Upholding Values and Integrity:

Ø  The Vice-Chancellor is expected to possess values, personality characteristics, and integrity in addition to academic excellence and administrative experience.

Ø  They play a pivotal role in upholding the values and ethical standards of the university and promoting a culture of integrity, transparency, and accountability.

Chairing Various Committees:

Ø  The Vice-Chancellor serves as the ex-officio Chairman of several important committees within the university, including the Court, Executive Council, Academic Council, Finance Committee, and Selection Committees.

Ø  They provide leadership and guidance in the decision-making processes of these bodies.

Convocations:

Ø  In the absence of the Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor presides over convocations of the university where degrees are conferred.

Ø  They represent the university and confer degrees to graduating students.

Ensuring Compliance:

Ø  The Vice-Chancellor has the responsibility to ensure that the provisions of the university’s governing documents such as the Act, Statutes, Ordinances, and Regulations are fully observed.

Ø  They have the necessary power and authority to discharge this duty effectively.

Maintaining Quality and Relevance:

Ø  The Vice-Chancellor plays a crucial role in maintaining the quality and relevance of the university’s academic programs and research activities.

Ø  They implement necessary changes and improvements based on recommendations from various committees and commissions, keeping in view the evolving needs and demands of higher education.