Jammu Tawi, April 15: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has flagged multiple academic, regulatory and administrative deficiencies in the functioning of the University of Jammu, including running courses without mandatory approvals.
The CAG recommended corrective measures, urging the university to strengthen its affiliation process so that only institutions meeting regulatory norms are granted affiliation. It also stressed the need for comprehensive inspection reports to safeguard academic quality. The report further highlighted weak industry linkages, delays in evaluation and poor placement outcomes.
According to the CAG report on Union Territory finances for the year ended March 31, 2024, the university offers a wide range of programmes, including 38 doctoral, 24 MPhil, 50 postgraduate and 19 undergraduate courses, besides diplomas and certificate programmes across eight faculties.
However, the audit noted that approval from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) had been obtained for only two technical programmes—MBA and MCA—while four other technical courses were being run without approval. It also pointed out that the MCA programme lacked accreditation from the National Board of Accreditation, depriving students of quality assurance benefits.
The report flagged deviations from prescribed academic standards, including non-adherence to AICTE model curriculum and lack of required infrastructure in programmes such as MTech Computer Science. It also noted that course nomenclature was not aligned with University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines, citing the Business Administration in Hotel Management (BBA-HM) course as outdated.
Teacher education programmes were reportedly conducted without recognition from the National Council for Teacher Education, with the university failing to seek mandatory approvals or adhere to prescribed norms.
The audit also highlighted weak industry-academia collaboration. Of 26 MoUs signed with national and international institutions, only two were fully functional, while most remained non-operational. The Industry-Academia Partnership Centre, established in 2019, was also found non-functional due to infrastructure constraints.
The university’s innovation ecosystem was similarly underperforming, with the University Business Incubation and Innovation Centre (UBIIC) and Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) largely inactive.
Concerns were also raised over poor placement outcomes. Of over 1,000 students enrolled in professional courses between 2017 and 2022, only 224 secured placements, while general course students had minimal support.
The CAG pointed to serious deficiencies in the examination system, including errors in marks cards, incorrect evaluation and delays in re-evaluation results. It noted that up to 27 per cent of students saw results change from fail to pass after re-evaluation, indicating flaws in assessment processes.
Delays were also reported in PhD evaluations, with only 22 per cent completed within six months and some cases extending beyond four years.
Additionally, 82 per cent of affiliated colleges had not obtained mandatory NAAC accreditation. Many colleges were operating with temporary affiliation for years and lacked qualified staff. In 51 inspected colleges, 113 out of 331 teachers in 24 non-government colleges did not possess prescribed qualifications, the report added.
