Madhya Pradesh University Challenges UGC's 'Defaulter' Status After Ombudsman Appointment

After being labeled as 'defaulters' by the UGC for not appointing ombudsmen, Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication (MCU) claims it has complied with the guidelines. MCU appointed Om Prakash Sunarya as their ombudsman and is seeking removal from the UGC's defaulter list.

Days after being termed as 'defaulters' by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for failing to appoint ombudsmen, several universities from Madhya Pradesh are disputing the claim. Among them is Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication (MCU), which called the move 'unfortunate' and confirmed its compliance with the guidelines.

MCU announced that it had appointed retired Chief District and Sessions Judge Om Prakash Sunarya as its ombudsman for three years starting June 6. Vice Chancellor Prof (Dr) K G Suresh said the delay in issuing the notification was due to the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha polls, but the university had informed the UGC on June 13 about the appointment.

'We had completed the process two months back, but the notification was delayed due to the model code of conduct,' Prof Suresh said in a statement, expressing shock at still being listed as a defaulter. He added that MCU has written to the UGC secretary requesting an update to remove the university from the list.

According to education department sources, the UGC had set April 11 as the deadline for appointing ombudspersons and had issued multiple reminders. As of January 17, eighteen MP universities were listed as defaulters, but the latest list from June 19 includes 16, indicating some compliance progress.