Chapter II PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES

(1) Each of the existing public universities specified in Part I of the Schedule, with effect from the date of commencement of this Act, shall be deemed to be constituted under this Act for the same area specified in the said part, for which it was constituted immediately before the date of commencement of this Act. (2) The State Government may, from time to time, by notification in the Official Gazette, constitute any new university under this Act by such name, for such area and with effect from such date, as may be specified by it, and insert necessary entries in Part II of the Schedule; and may for that purpose or any other purposes specified in that behalf diminish, increase or alter the area of any existing or new university, by amending the Schedule, by the said notification, and thereupon the entries in Part I or in Part II, as the case may be, of the Schedule, shall stand amended accordingly, and all educational institutions, whether colleges, institutions, autonomous or empowered autonomous colleges, empowered autonomous cluster institutions, post-graduate departments, schools on the sub-campuses, by whatever name called, within the area of the new university, which are affiliated/constituted to or recognised by the existing university shall, from the date aforesaid, stand affiliated/constituted to or recognised by the new university. (3) Each university shall be competent to acquire and hold property, both movable and immovable, to lease, sell or otherwise transfer or dispose of any movable or immovable property, which may vest in or be acquired by it for the purposes of the university, and to contract and do all other things necessary for the purposes of this Act: Provided that, no such lease, sale or transfer of such property shall be made without the valuation made thereof by the approved valuer appointed by the university and without the prior written consent of the State Government.

The objects of the university, in general, shall be to disseminate, create and preserve knowledge and understanding by teaching, research and development, skill development, training and education, extension and service and by effective demonstration and influence of its corporate life on a society in general, and in particular, the objects shall be to- (a) carry out its responsibility of creation, preservation and dissemination of knowledge; (b) promote discipline and the spirit of intellectual inquiry and to dedicate itself as a fearless academic community to the sustained pursuit of excellence; (c) encourage individuality and diversity within a climate of tolerance and mutual understanding; (d) promote freedom, secularism, equality, social justice as enshrined in the Constitution of India, and to be catalyst in patriotic socio-economic transformation by promoting basic attitudes and values of essence to national development; (e) promote the conducive environment for ensuring social harmony, co-existence, integral humanism and upliftment of the poorest of the poor; (f) extend the benefits of knowledge, life and employability skills for development of individuals and society by associating the university closely with local, regional and national problems of development; (g) carry out social responsibility as an informed and objective critic, to identify and cultivate talent, to train the right kind of leadership in all walks of life and to help younger generation to develop right attitudes, interests and values; (h) promote equitable distribution of teaching, learning, training and other support services facilities of higher education; (i) to promote training and skills in the context of innovations, research and discovery in all fields of human endeavour by developing higher educational network with the use of state of art, communication, media and technologies appropriate for a learning society; (j) devise motivational systems to ensure that individual cognitive abilities are not constrained, but rather the innovative spirit and desire to make true contribution and realize self-achievement is nurtured; (k) promote acquisition of knowledge in a rapidly developing and changing society and to continually offer opportunities of upgrading knowledge, training and skills in the context of innovations, research and discovery in all fields of human endeavour by developing a higher educational network with use of modern communication media, information and communication technology and other emerging and future technologies appropriate for a learning society; (l) promote national integration, fraternity and preserve cultural heritage and inculcate respect towards different religions and diverse cultures of India through the study of different religions, literature, history, science, art, civilisations and cultures; (m) develop work culture and promote dignity of labour through applied components in the syllabi; (n) build up financial self-sufficiency by undertaking academic teaching, training and allied programme, research and development activities for State and private industries, Government organisations at local, regional, national and global level and resource generative services in a cost-effective manner; (o) promote better interaction and co-ordination among different universities, institutions and colleges in the given university, other universities in the State, in the region, in the nation and at a global level by all such means generally to improve the governance of the university and facility it provides for higher education; (p) generate and promote a sense of self-respect and dignity amongst the weaker sections of the society; (q) promote gender equality and sensitivity in society; (r) strive to promote competitive merit and excellence as the sole guiding criterion in all academic and other matters relating to students; (s) register with Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), a national-level facility which will be a bank for academic purposes with students as an academic account holders; (t) develop various strategies and initiatives and provide an excellent opportunity through a wide array of activities for Internationalization such as internationally relevant curricula, brand building of Education Institutions in abroad, academic and research collaboration with foreign universities, credit recognition under twining arrangements, global citizenship approach and engaging with foreign alumni; (u) develop separate ‘Centres of Adult Education’ for achieving 100% literacy as per the guidelines issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC); (v) carry out all instructions, norms, regulations as and when issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC) from time to time.

The university shall have the following powers and duties, namely:— (1) to make provision for research and for the advancement and dissemination of knowledge, and generally to cultivate and promote the arts (including fine arts and performing arts), humanities, social sciences, accounts and commerce, pure and applied sciences, present and emerging technologies, managements, different forms of medicine, engineering, law, physical education and other branches of learning and culture and their multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary areas; (2) to make provisions to enable conducted and affiliated/constituent colleges and recognised institutions to undertake specialised studies; (3) to make provisions for creation of autonomous, empowered autonomous and empowered autonomous cluster of institutions; (4) to develop procedures and processes for recognition of private skills education providers and empowered autonomous skills development colleges; (5) to organise, maintain and manage university departments, schools, institutions, labouratories, learning resource centres, libraries, museums and equipment for teaching, learning, training, research and development or extension; (6) to establish, maintain and manage departments, institutions of research, institutions of specialised studies or academic services unit; (7) to establish, maintain and manage constituent, community and conducted colleges, institutions, hostels, health centres, auditoria and gymnasiums; (8) to provide for establishment, on the university campus and Sub-Campuses, of autonomous institutions like multi-university and inter-university centres, research labouratories, modern instrumentation centres and like centres of learning, set up by the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Central Government or the State Government, teaching or learning or training colleges or institutions at local, regional, national and global level, which may be used by the university or college or group of universities or colleges: Provided that, in the case of any industry or any non-Government organisation availing themselves of such facility of a university or such organisations providing the facility to a university, prior approval of the State Government shall be obtained by the university concerned; (9) to provide for establishment of sub-campuses for serving a group of colleges, and also to provide for and maintain common resource centres in such sub-campuses in the form of post-graduate departments, multi-disciplinary or inter-disciplinary schools, libraries, labouratories, computer centres and the like centres of learning and skills training, as per the guidelines laid down by the State Government or by the University Grants Commission (UGC); (10) to create posts of directors, principals, university teachers, non-vacational academic staff, non-teaching skilled, administrative staff and other posts required by the university, from its own fund and from the funds received from other funding agencies, prescribe their qualifications, experience and pay-scales, as per the University Grants Commission (UGC) recommendation, after approval of the State Government, and to make appointments thereto; (11) to make appointments to the posts of directors, principals, university teachers, non-vacational academic staff, non-teaching skilled, administrative staff and other posts sanctioned by the State Government as per the qualifications and experience specified by the State Government and the University Grants Commission (UGC); (12) to appoint or recognise persons working in any other university or organisation as adjunct professors, adjunct associate professors, adjunct assistant professors, visiting professors of the university for specified periods; (13) to facilitate mobility of teachers within the university and to other universities with the consent of the teacher concerned; (14) to prescribe the courses of instruction and studies for the various examinations leading to specific degrees and diplomas or certificates; (15) to make provision, wherever feasible, in the university departments, colleges, institutions, recognised institutions and schools, for survey and collection of statistics, data and other particulars relevant to various developmental activities including State and National plans, evaluation of the developmental schemes with the participation of the students as a part of their curricular activities; (16) to supervise, control and regulate admission of students for various courses of study in university departments, schools, multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary schools, community, conducted and affiliated/constituent colleges, institutions and recognised institutions; (37) to provide for periodical assessment of the performance of teachers and non-teaching employees in the colleges, institutions and university in accordance with the norms prescribed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) or the State Government; (38) to regulate and provide for attendance of the teachers on the premises of the university or colleges or institutions during teaching hours and beyond teaching hours, as prescribed and to prohibit teachers from taking or conducting private tuitions or private coaching classes; (39) to regulate and provide for attendance of the non-teaching employees on the premises of the university or colleges or institutions during working hours and beyond working hours, as prescribed; (40) to enforce conduct and discipline rules for teachers and non-teaching employees prescribed by the State Government; (41) to prescribe code of conduct for managements; (42) to prescribe and enforce students charter; (43) to establish, maintain and manage, whenever necessary, — (a) university extension boards; (b) information bureaus; (c) employment guidance bureaus; (d) Autonomous Evaluation Boards; and (e) such other activities as may be necessary and possible to fulfill the objects of the university; (44) to make provision for participation of students with necessary incentives in, — (a) the national service scheme; (b) the national cadet corps; (c) home guards and civil defense; (d) the national sports organisation; (e) physical and military training; (f) extra-mural teaching and research; (g) programme related to Lifelong Learning and Extension; (h) any other programme, services or activities directed towards cultural, economic and social betterment as may be necessary and possible, to fulfill the objects of the university by the State Government or / and the Government of India; (45) to provide for special training or coaching for competitive examinations, for recruitment to the public services, public sector undertakings and other competitive employment opportunities; (46) to arrange periodical employment programme and to provide internship; (47) to co-operate or collaborate with any other university, institution, authority or organisation for research and advisory services and for such purposes to enter into appropriate arrangement with other universities, institutions, authorities, or organisations to conduct certain courses as the situation may demand; (48) to rescind or suspend affiliation or recognition or empowered status granted to colleges or institutions or cluster of institutions; (49) to borrow funds for the purposes of the university on the security of the property of the university, with the prior permission of the State Government; (50) to explore the possibilities of augmenting the resources of the university by exploring or innovating activities such as research and development, consultancy, training programme and providing services for different clients from industry, trade or any other non-government organisations; (51) to transfer the management of an affiliated/constituent college, institution or autonomous college or empowered autonomous college or cluster of institutions in case where irregularities or commissions or omissions of criminal nature by the management of such college or institution or mismanagement of such college or institution are prima-facie evident, to any other management, following proper legal procedure and with prior approval of the State Government; (52) to undertake academic collaboration programme, research and advisory services with universities and institutions abroad, with the prior approval of the State and the Central Government; (53) to receive funds for collaborative programme from foreign agencies, subject to rules and regulations of the Central Government and the State Government in that behalf; (54) to create development corpus out of surplus that the university may generate through its teaching, learning, training, research, emerging technology, startup, innovations and development, consultancy and any other academic and support activities and to invest it in a professional manner and use the interest generated through it for the growth and development of academic, research and development, academic and physical infrastructure development and any other infrastructure; (55) to lay down for teachers and university teachers, such instructions or directions as, in the opinion of the university, may be necessary in academic matters; (56) to undertake development programme in higher education, research, consultancy based projects and training programme for outside agencies, by charging fees, so as to generate resources; (57) to make special provisions for the benefit of university education to be made available to classes and communities which are socially and educationally backward; (58) to make special provisions for such benefits of university education to be made available for women students and differently-abled students as the university may think necessary; (59) to make special provisions for higher education in rural and tribal areas; (60) to take appropriate measures in order to increase the gross enrolment ratio; (61) to implement the national literacy and adult education programme through teachers and students on voluntary basis in the university system and to evolve measures to give due weightage to the efforts and performance of the students in this area in addition to their normal academic performance and also to evaluate the performance of the teachers in this area; (62) to promote by itself, or in co-operation with other universities, the study of Gujarati and the use of Gujarati as a medium of instruction, study, research and examination, in adherence to the policies of the State Government; (63) to promote by itself, or in co-operation with other universities or organisations, the study of regional, national and foreign languages in general and Asian languages in particular; (64) to evolve an operational scheme for ensuring accountability of teachers, non-vocation academic and non-teaching staff of the university, institutions and colleges; (65) to provide for joint appointments in single grade of pay in more than one department or administrative section in the university, as also between university departments and between the university-public or university-private or university public-private partnership research laboratories or university-industry or university-other bodies; (66) to create knowledge and disseminate it and foster high quality research which is contemporary, globally competitive and locally as well as regionally and nationally relevant; (67) to have a learner-centric approach and perform the role of being a knowledge creator; (68) to strengthen education at under-graduate and post-graduate level, enhance research develop culture and relevant degree programme and cultivate desire for entrepreneurship; (69) to create a comprehensive digital university framework for both, e-learning and e-administrative services; (70) to exploit the power of ‘learning by collaboration’ and ‘participation’ with use of information and communication technology; (71) to cultivate research parks, technology incubators and other engagement entities to translate university research to commercial domain and coordinated projects involving multiple faculty groups from several disciplines that address some important issues before the State; (72) to identify skills to which students need to be exposed to, by taking into account the local needs, training facilities available, emerging needs and new employment opportunities; (73) to provide an environment for the all-round development of youth by exposing them to the rich cultural heritage of the country and creating opportunities for development of skills in sports; (74) to facilitate mobility of teachers to collaborating institutions such as industries, research and development laboratories, non-Government organisations, engaged in societal development, to enable translation of knowledge to viable real life applications and in turn enrich university programme; (75) Oversea Educational Campuses (a) to establish centres or institutions in foreign countries with the permission of the Central and the State Government; (b) to establish centres / departments or institutions of foreign countries within University campus with the prior permission of the regulatory bodies, the Central Government and the State Government; (76) to establish vocational or skill based community colleges in partnership with industry; (77) to comply with and carry out any directives issued by the State Government, from time to time, with reference to above powers, duties and responsibilities of the university; (78) to conduct academic audit of university departments, conducted colleges, affiliated/constituent colleges, institutions or schools, at regular intervals; (79) to do all such other acts and things as may be necessary for, or incidental or conducive to, the attainment of all or any of its objects.

(1) The territorial limits, within which the powers conferred upon the university by this Act shall be exercised, shall comprise the whole of the university area as specified against the name of such university in the Schedule: Provided that, the benefit of distance-education courses, correspondence courses, Open University courses or external degree courses of any university may, with the prior permission of the State Government, extend and cover the entire area of the State outside the university area: Provided further that, if a university desires to establish sub-campus or centre or institution in any foreign country, on its own or in collaboration with any other Indian or foreign university or institution, it may do so with the prior sanction of the State Government and the Central Government. (2) Subject to the provisions of clause (p) of sub-section (2) of section 53, no educational institution situated within the university area shall, except with the consent of the university and the sanction of the State Government, be associated in any way with, or seek admission to any privilege of, any other university established by law with the exception of the public university and Research or Project collaborations of university, colleges with any other university or colleges: Provided that, if an educational institution, State or private, Indian or foreign, seeks to be associated with or be admitted to the privileges of a university, jurisdiction of which is not restricted to any State or area, such association or admission may be permitted by the State Government: Provided further that, if a university, the jurisdiction of which is not restricted to any State or area, wishes to establish a centre or other unit of research in the university area on its own or in collaboration with any public or private Indian or foreign university or institution, it may do so with the sanction of the State Government and also with the sanction of the Central Government, if the collaboration is with the foreign university or institution. (3) If an educational institution, public or private, Indian or foreign, associated with or admitted to the privileges of any other university established by law, seeks to be associated with, or be admitted to the privileges of a university, such association or admission may be permitted with the sanction of the State Government and consent of the university concerned. (4) Save as otherwise, provided by or under this Act, any privilege enjoyed by any educational institution within the area of another university before the date on which this Act comes into force, shall not be withdrawn, without the sanction of the State Government. (5) If a new district is created by the State Government, the area of such district shall be under the jurisdiction of such university, as may be declared by the State Government, by notification in the Official Gazette, for the purpose of admission to the privileges of such university.

(1) No citizen of India shall be excluded from any office of the university or from membership of any of its authorities, bodies or committees, or from appointment to any post, or from admission to any degree, diploma, certificate or other academic distinction or course of study on the ground only of sex, race, creed, class, caste, place of birth, religious belief or profession or political or other opinion: Provided that, the university may maintain, accredit or recognise any college or institution exclusively for women, or reserved for women. (2) The university shall adopt government policy and orders issued, from time to time, in regard to the reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, De-Notified Tribes (Vimukta Jatis), Nomadic Tribes, Economically Weaker Section and Other Backward Classes for appointment to different posts of teachers and non-teaching employees and for the purpose of admission of students in the affiliated or conducted or community colleges, university departments, university institutions or recognised institutions. (3) The university shall adopt with the general policy of the State Government in regard to the welfare of various categories of weaker sections of the society, minorities, women and persons with disability as directed by the State Government, from time to time.