Closure of private college

(1) No private college and no course of instruction therein in a private college shall be closed without the prior approval of the competent authority and without making such arrangements as may be prescribed for the continuance of the instruction of the students of the private college, or the class or the course of instruction, as the case may be, for the period of study for which the students have been admitted. (2) No prior approval under sub-section (1) shall be given unless notice in writing is given to the competent authority. The method of notice shall be such as may be prescribed and different periods of notice may be prescribed for different classes of private colleges. Such notice shall be in such form, contain such particulars and be given in such manner as may be prescribed. (3) The competent authority shall dispose of the notice given under sub-section (2) as expeditiously as possible, and in any case within six months from the date of receipt of the notice. (4) The competent authority may, if it is satisfied that— (i) the notice given under sub-section (2) is defective; (ii) no arrangements have been made as required under sub-section (1) for the continuance of the instruction of the students of the private college, the class or the course of instruction, as the case may be, for the period of study for which the students have been admitted; or (iii) the reasons given for closure of the private college, class or course of instruction, as the case may be, are directly attributable to the mismanagement or maladministration on the part of the management; or (iv) the financial position of the management is sound, in cases where the lack of finance has been adduced as a ground for closure of the private college, class or course of instruction, as the case may be; or (v) the reasons given for closure of the private college, class or course of instruction, as the case may be, are not bonafide; or (vi) the closure of the private college, class or course of instruction, as the case may be, shall adversely affect the educational opportunity available to the students of the local area in which such private college is situated, it may refuse to give the prior approval for closure of the private college, class or course of instruction, as the case may be, after recording in writing the reasons for such refusal: Provided that the competent authority shall not refuse to give the prior approval unless the applicant has been given an opportunity of making his representations. (5) Where the competent authority refuses to give the prior approval for closure of the private college, class or course of instruction, as the case may be, the management shall continue to run the private college, class or course of instruction, as the case may be. (6) Where the competent authority gives approval for closure of the private college, class or course of instruction, as the case may be, during the course of an academic year, such closure shall take effect from the expiry of the said academic year. Explanation.—For the purposes of this section, the expressions "management" and "private college" shall have the same meaning as in the Explanation to sub-section (3) of section 14-A.