UGC Directs Universities to Appoint Ombudsperson By December 31

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued a directive instructing universities to appoint ombudspersons by December 31, 2023. A warning has been issued, stating that the names of non-compliant universities will be made public after the deadline. The UGC emphasised the importance of complying with the UGC (Redressal of Grievances of Students) Regulations 2023, which were officially published in the gazette on April 11, 2023. Universities are urged to appoint an ombudsperson within 30 days of the regulatory notification.

In the latest notice from the UGC, all universities are mandated to adhere to the regulations by establishing a Students Grievance Redressal Committee (SGRC) and appointing ombudspersons. Despite repeated reminders, the UGC expressed dissatisfaction, noting that some universities have not complied with the directive, and emphasised that the matter is being viewed seriously.

UGC Secretary Manish R. Joshi in a letter to the vice-chancellors of State, Central, Private, and deemed-to-be universities said, “The universities are required to comply with the regulations by constituting Students Grievance Redressal Committee (SGRC) any by appointing ombudspersons. However, it is understood that some universities are yet to comply with the regulations. The matter is being viewed seriously.”

The secretary stressed the urgency for universities to promptly appoint the ombudsperson and fully implement other provisions of the regulations by December 31. Subsequently, universities were instructed to submit a compliance report to the designated email IDs specified for each type of university.

“Since enough opportunities have been provided to the universities, it has been decided to publish the names of defaulting universities on the website of the University Grants Commission (UGC) after 31.12.2023,” the UGC letter added.

The commission informed that in case a university listed as defaulting wants to make a representation against the inclusion of its name in the list of defaulting universities, it may forward its representation to the secretary. In addition to that, the UGC highlighted that in the event of continuous non-compliance with the regulations, the commission will be prompted to initiate action against the concerned university.