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This is complete failure of BJP govt and its edu dept: Haryana Cong chief on MDU issue
In a press statement, Rao said that the university’s NAAC accreditation expired on March 27, 2024, and despite that MDU administration provided false and misleading information to collect admission fees from students for the 2025–26 session
Haryana Congress party president Rao Narendra Singh on Thursday said that UGC’s Distance Education Bureau’s (DEB) decision to declare Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) in Rohtak “ineligible” to offer online and distance learning courses for the academic year 2025-26 is not just an administrative lapse but complete failure of BJP government.
“This is not just an administrative lapse, but a complete failure of the BJP government and its education department. The government failed to monitor the university’s accreditation process and could not ensure compliance with UGC regulations,” he said.
In a press statement, Rao said that the university’s NAAC accreditation expired on March 27, 2024, and despite that MDU administration provided false and misleading information to collect admission fees from students for the 2025–26 session. “Due to this mismanagement, the future of nearly 6,500 students has been pushed into deep uncertainty. National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) had also directed MDU to immediately remove accreditation details from its website and all public documents but the varsity continues to display the same on its website, which is a serious violation of rules,” he added.
HT reported on December 1 that the DEB found MDU “ineligible” to run open and distance learning and online programmes for 2025–26 under the UGC (Open and Distance Learning and Online Programmes) Regulations, 2020. NAAC, in a separate communication, directed MDU to immediately remove accreditation details from its website and all public documents.
After that, former Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala and Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda raised the issue and demanded action against MDU officials for negligence.
The Congress state president further said that NAAC had issued a stern warning to the MDU administration on November 17, also, but no corrective steps were taken, adding that the biggest loss was suffered by hardworking middle-class and rural-background students, who wished to continue their studies alongside employment.
“A criminal case should be registered against the vice-chancellor and officials of the Directorate of Distance Education responsible for this gross negligence. To save the academic session of students, the state government must obtain special permission from the UGC and ensure alternative arrangements. A high-level judicial inquiry should be conducted into the entire matter,” Rao added.
Responding to the allegations, MDU public relations director Ashish Dahiya had said the university received an A+ grade in 2019 for five years. He said NAAC announced a new accreditation framework on January 27, 2024, and stopped accepting applications under the old system. “The university decided to apply under the new methodology and requested NAAC, before the grade expired, to allow submission of documents under the revised framework and to continue the existing A+ grade till then. MDU has been in regular touch with NAAC,” he added.
