Chapter II UNIVERSITY

1. (1) There shall be established and constituted a University to be known as the "Bhakta Kavi Narsinh Mehta University".
2. (2) The Vice-Chancellor, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor and members of the Board of Governors, the Executive Council, the Academic Council, the Finance Committee, and the Building and Estate Committee of the University; and all persons who may hereafter become such officers, members, or authority, so long as they continue to hold such office or membership, shall constitute a body corporate by the name of the "Bhakta Kavi Narsinh Mehta University".
3. (3) The University shall have a perpetual succession and a common seal, and may sue and be sued by the said name.
4. (4) The University shall be competent, to acquire and hold property, both movable and immovable, to lease, sell or otherwise transfer any movable or immovable property which may vest in or be acquired by it for the purposes of the University, to raise loans on the securities of its assets and to contract and do all other things necessary for the purposes of this Act:

Headquarters of University The headquarters of the University shall be at Junagadh, District: Junagadh, Gujarat.

The objects of the University shall be to develop the knowledge of different branches of Higher, Technical and Professional learning and research in relation to the different domains and their applications. The prime objects of the University shall be to create centers and institutes of excellence in the aforesaid areas in particular and other objects shall be as follows, namely:-

1. (1) to disseminate, create and preserve knowledge and understanding by teaching, research and training:
2. (2) to develop different patterns of teaching for a certificate or diploma courses, under graduate and post-graduate courses and at doctoral level and to maintain a high standard of education and its applications;
3. (3) to develop training facilities and to make arrangement for training in higher education, professional education and other fields, to provide for inter-relationship for national and international participation in the fields of science, technology, humanities, commerce, management, law, physiotherapy, medicine, paramedical, forestry, marine sciences, environmental sciences, and other fields;
4. (4) to establish close linkage with the industry to make teaching, research and training at the University, relevant to the needs of the society, at the national and global level;
5. (5) to introduce and nurture innovations in the existing education system through CBCS and interdisciplinary, skill based approach so as to reflect India's spiritual knowledge, robust intellectual and inexhaustible creativity;
6. (6) to study and derive lessons from the ongoing latest experiments of education that are taking place in the State of Gujarat as also elsewhere and to foster all the valuable innovative work and promote the same for larger expansion and utilization;
7. (7) to establish Centre of Excellence or independent research centres.

Subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by or under the provisions of this Act, the University shall have the following powers and functions, namely:-

1. (1) to provide for the instruction, teaching and training in such branches of learning and courses of study as it may think fit, and to make provision for research, advancement and dissemination of knowledge;
2. (2) to make such provision as would enable affiliated colleges and recognised institutions to undertake specialisation of studies;
3. (3) to organize common laboratories, libraries and other equipments for teaching and research;
4. (4) to establish, take over, maintain and manage college, department, centres and institutes of research or specialised studies;
5. (5) to institute Professorships, Associate Professorships or Assistant Professorships and other posts of teachers required by the University;
6. (6) to appoint or recognise persons as Professors, Associate Professors, or Assistant Professors or otherwise as teachers of the University;
7. (7) to lay down the courses of instruction including inter-disciplinary studies for various examinations;
8. (8) to guide teaching and research work in colleges, University departments, or recognised institutions;
9. (9) to institute degrees, diplomas, certificates and other academic distinctions;
10. (10) to hold examinations and to confer degrees, diplomas and other academic distinction on persons who -
    • (a) have pursued course of study in the University or in an affiliated college unless exempted therefrom, in the manner prescribed by the Statutes, Ordinances, Regulations or Rules and have passed the examinations prescribed by the University, or
    • (b) have carried on research as per the conditions prescribed by the Ordinances, Regulation or Rules;
11. (11) to confer honorary degrees or other academic distinctions in the manner laid down by the Statutes;
12. (12) to grant such diplomas and to provide for such lectures, instruction and training for persons who are not enrolled students of the University, as may be prescribed by the Statutes, Ordinances, Regulations or Rules;
13. (13) to admit educational institutions to the privileges of the University and to withdraw such privileges;
14. (14) to inspect colleges and recognised institutions and to take measures to ensure that proper standards of instruction, teaching and training are maintained and adequate library, laboratory and facilities for skill formation and enhancement are made therein;
15. (15) to control and co-ordinate the activities of affiliated colleges, institutions and recognised institutions and to regulate the fees to be paid by the students in such colleges and recognised institutions;
16. (16) to institute and award fellowships, travelling fellowships, scholarships, bursaries, studentships, exhibitions, medals, and prizes;
17. (17) to make special provisions for the spread of University education among classes and communities which are educationally backward;
18. (18) to make special provisions for disseminating knowledge and promoting arts and culture;
19. (19) to fix, demand and receive or recover such fees and other charges as may be prescribed by the Ordinances;
20. (20) to establish, maintain and manage hostels by the University, and to recognise such hostels which are not maintained by the University. Such hostels may be inspected by the University and recognition may be withdrawn, if University deems it fit and proper;
21. (21) to supervise, regulate and control the conduct and discipline of the students of the University, the affiliated colleges and the recognised institutions to make arrangements for promoting their health and general welfare;
22. (22) to institute and manage-
    • (a) Printing and Publication Department;
    • (b) University Extension Boards;
    • (c) Information Bureau; and
    • (d) Employment Bureau;
23. (23) to make provisions-
    • (a) for Physical Education, National Social Service, Chief Minister Shramdan Yojana, National Cadet Corps, etc.;
    • (b) for sports and athletic activities;
    • (c) for compliance of other academic, extra-curricular and co-curricular activities;
    • (d) to make necessary arrangements for obtaining accreditation from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), Academic and Administrative Audit (AAA), National Board of Assessment
    • (NBA) or any other statutory accreditation agency constituted by the Central or the State Government, as the case may be;
    • (e) to comply with the directives/instructions of the State Government to the affiliated colleges and recognised institutions and the University from time to time;
24. (24) to co-operate with other Universities and authorities in such manner and for such purposes as the University may determine;
25. (25) to promote the development of the study of Gujarati and Hindi (in Devnagari script) and the use of Gujarati and Hindi (in Devnagari Script) or both or English as a medium of instruction in education and examination;
26. (26) to make arrangements for training for competitive examinations for recruitment to the services under the Union and the State Government;
27. (27) to accept, hold and manage any endowments, donations or funds which vest in it for the purposes of the University by grant, testamentary disposition or otherwise, and to invest such endowments, donations or funds in accordance with the provisions of this Act: Provided that no donation from a foreign country, foreign foundation or any person in such country, foundation shall be accepted by the University save with the approval of the Central Government or the State Government, as the case may be;
28. (28) to borrow money from the Central Government, any State Government or from any individual, association or body corporate: Provided that power to borrow moneys shall be exercised after obtaining previous approval of the State Government;
29. (29) to do all such acts and things whether incidental to the powers and functions as, aforesaid or not, as may be required in furtherance of the objects of the University and generally to cultivate and promote Arts, Science and other branches of learning and culture.

1. (1) No educational institution within the University area shall, save with the sanction of the State Government and the University, be associated in any way with, or seek admission to any privileges of, any other University established by law.
2. (2) Any such privileges enjoyed from the Saurashtra University before the date on which this Act comes into force, by any educational institution situate within the University area shall be deemed to be withdrawn with effect from such date.
3. (3) With effect on and from such date, all educational institutions admitted to the privileges of the Saurashtra University and situated within the University area shall be deemed to be admitted to the privileges of the University, and such institutions shall, on and from such date cease to be associated with and to enjoy the privileges of the Saurashtra University and the Saurashtra University Act, 1965 shall thereupon cease to apply to them. The University shall, as far as may be possible and consistent with this Act, admit such institutions to all such privileges as they had of the Saurashtra University immediately before such date.
4. (4) Any educational institution, situated outside the University area, but within the State of Gujarat, may be admitted to the privileges of the University subject to prior permission of the State Government and subject to such conditions and restrictions as the University may thinks fit and proper.
5. (5) The State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, direct that this Act shall cease to apply to any area included in the University area and on such date as may be specified in the notification; and on and from the said date all the educational institutions situate within the said area shall cease to be associated with and to enjoy the privileges of the University.

1. (1) No person shall be excluded from any office of the University or from membership of any of its authorities or from admission to any degree, diploma or other academic distinction or courses of study on the sole ground of sex, race, creed, caste, class, place of birth, religious belief or political or other opinion: Provided that the University may, subject to the previous sanction of the State Government, maintain, affiliate or recognise any college or institution exclusively for women, or reserved for women or for socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for members of the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes, seats for the purposes of admission as students in any institution maintained by the University.
2. (2) It shall not be lawful for the University to impose on any person any test whatsoever relating to sex, race, creed, caste, class, place of birth, religious belief or profession or political or other opinion in order to entitle him to be admitted as a teacher or a student or to hold any office or post in the University or to qualify for any degree, diploma or other academic distinction or to enjoy or exercise any privileges of the University or benefaction thereof.

1. (1) The State Government shall have power to issue directions from time to time as may be required for compliance of any of the provisions made by or under this Act.
2. (2) If the State Government has convincing grounds to believe that the teaching standards, examinations, research or administration has deteriorated substantially and is not of acceptable level, it may cause an assessment of the same by a committee of independent professional experts in the area. The State Government shall communicate the finding of the committee and direct the University to take corrective measures as per the recommendations in the best interest of the academic work and standards. If the University is in gross violations of certain accepted academic standards of educational institutions, the State Government shall give directions for compliance within reasonable time.
3. (3) If the State Government has serious grounds or prima facie case to believe that the University has contravened any of the vital provisions of this Act, Statutes, Regulations or there is a situation of financial mismanagement or gross mal-administration in the University management, the State Government shall issue a notice directing to give reply within forty-five days as to why an inquiry should not be ordered. If the reply of the University to the notice is not satisfactory, the State Government may order an inquiry.
4. (4) The inquiry officer or the committee as such appointed by the State Government shall have the same powers as vested in a Civil Court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 in the matters such as summoning persons for evidence, and production of documents and record from any office, etc.
5. (5) The report of the inquiry shall also be given to the University to present its case before the State Government. However, on consideration of the presentation of the University and the corrective steps proposed by it, still if the State Government is of the opinion that continuation of the existing University administration will gravely harm to the interests of the students, staff and the objectives of the University, or there is a gross financial mismanagement and serious mal-administration, the State Government may take appropriate steps as it may deem fit and proper.