Amity University
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| Amity University | |
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| Motto | We Nurture Talent |
| Type | Private, Not accredited by AICTE; UGC approved (Rajasthan and Noida centers) |
| Chairman | Ashok Chauhan |
| Location | Noida, Lucknow, Jaipur, Gurgaon, Gwalior |
| Campus | Urban |
| Affiliations | UGC |
| Website | www.amity.edu |
Amity University (Hindi : एमिटी विश्वविद्यालय) is a private university in Noida, India established under an Uttar Pradesh state government act.
The founder president is Ashok Chauhan. It is not approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). As per the university, it is not required to take the approval of AICTE.[1] The university has been involved in controversies, including refusal by the Universities Grants Commission (UGC) to recognize Amity University and an international arrest warrant against its founder president Ashok Chauhan.[2]
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[edit] Recognition, memberships and associations
The University is a Member of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU),[3] and a Member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities.[4] The Bar Council of India (BCI),[5] Council of Architecture[6] and National Council of Teachers Education (Educational Programs)[7] have recognized certain function-specific courses. These are not the central recognition bodies in India. A 2009 UGC report confirmed that "None of the programmes [of Amity University] has received the approval of relevant professional councils. BCI approval is for the School of Law before the University was born. The no. of students admitted seemed to be too large". The report also confirmed that "the University conducts a number of distance learning programmes in the professional subjects (like MBA & MCA). As per UGC Regulations they are not authorized to do so. Further, they have not obtained the approval of the concerned Statutory Council, viz., AICTE. Besides they have not got the approval of UGC, AICTE-DEC Joint Committee for running these programmes. The UGC may like to advise the University to take immediate appropriate steps in this direction."[8] For its UK programs, Amity University is accredited by ASIC, UK, a private body into the business of accreditation in United Kingdom.[9]
As per a December 2009 UGC notice, a list of private universities including Amity University Rajasthan and Amity University Uttar Pradesh were "competent to award degrees as specified by UGC under Section 22 of the UGC Act." The UGC also mentioned in the notice that these private universities were not allowed to have any college or institutional affiliations. Additionally, private universities were prohibited from having any "off campus centre" outside the state in which they have been incorporated, as UGC had not approved the same for any private university. The UGC notice advised students to report any violation by any private university on these issues to the UGC.[10]
A June 2011 UGC Expert Committee recommended that Amity University in Rajasthan "be included under the list of recognized state (Private Universities) by the UGC under its relevant act."[11] Subsequently, an August 2011 UGC meeting decided that Amity University Rajasthan be asked to prepare a compliance report on their response to the expert committee's various observations on "deficiencies" still existing and other suggestions.[12]
[edit] Infrastructure
According to the university, it has five campuses - Noida, Lucknow, Jaipur, Gurgaon, Gwalior.[13] Amity brands its varsities under the name of "Amity Global Business Schools". As per Amity, these are based in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Patna, Indore, Kochi, Kolkatta and Pune. As per Amity's website, campuses exist in London and Singapore too.[14]
[edit] 2009 UGC inspection report findings
A 2009 UGC inspection report found that the university had no land in its name. While Amity claimed to UGC that there were no off-campus and offshore centers, the UGC inspectors found otherwise in their investigations. The report mentions that setting up by Amity of "a number of off-campus centres/set-up in different States including Uttar Pradesh, almost simultaneously with the setting-up of the NOIDA Campus, [is] not in order, even as per the UGC Regulations-2003 referred to earlier. The UGC may like to advise the University to take appropriate action not to contravene the provisions of its own Act and also the UGC Regulations." The report also mentioned that the Noida campus had a "good focus on research... has a number of well equipped modern laboratories and is recognized by the Department of Science and Technology of the Government of India as a Scientific & Industrial Research Organization (SIRO)." The report recorded that the University has some "well qualified/experienced scientists as faculty members, who have already filed a number of patents based on their R&D work at the University. As of August 2009, "two of these patents had been published by the Patents Office." Additionally, the report mentioend that "the University has been certified for ISO 9001: 2000 (Quality Management System) and ISO 14001: 2004 (Environmental Management System). However, the University as yet is not accredited by NAAC/NBA, whose assessment methods are outcome-based and important for a University as per UGC regulations."[8]
During the tainted 2010 Commonwealth Games held in New Delhi, Amity was part of the consortium that was chosen to provide vocational training for nearly 22,000 volunteers enrolled at the volunteer program "Delhi United".[15][16][17][18] Just three days before the event was to begin, around 10,000 volunteers quit their duties because of "poor training and motivation, unglamorous assignments, and random allocation of responsibilities."[19]
[edit] Programs offered
According to the university, there are various courses offered, ranging from anthropology to telecom.[20]
[edit] Controversies
- As per a 2009 Central Information Commission appeal ruling, German judicial authorities have issued arrest warrants against Ashok Kumar Chauhan and Arun Kumar Chauhan, directors of the Amity group of institutions on charges of fraud in Germany. The Interpol too has issued Red-Corner notices. The Ministry of Home Affairs has been requested to act on this issue "in accordance with law". The Union Minister for External Affairs in India has accepted that Germany wishes to prosecute Ashok Chauhan and Arun Chauhan and that they have sought legal assistance for extraditing the two.[21][22][23]
- The UGC, the official body that recognizes universities in India, had continued refusing to grant Amity University recognition status. In 2007, after a petition filed by Amity, the Delhi High Court directed UGC to include Amity University's name on its website. The courts additionally asked UGC to conduct inspection to find out problems in Amity University's programmes.[2]
- Amity University is not recognized by the All India Council of Technical Education. In early 2007, AICTE brought out an advisory telling students to "avoid 168 unapproved colleges", including Amity.[2] As per the university, it being a university is not required to take the approval of AICTE.[1]
[edit] Image gallery
[edit] Noida Campus
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E Block -
Hostel 5
[edit] References
- ^ a b Amity (2008). "Government recognition". primary source. Amity. http://www.amity.edu/Admission/govt_recognition.asp. Retrieved 2011-04-24.
- ^ a b c Alison Granito (July 4, 2007). "UGC asked to list Amity on its website". News report. Wall Street Journal, Live Mint. http://www.livemint.com/2007/07/04005423/UGC-asked-to-list-Amity-on-its.html. Retrieved 2011-04-24.
- ^ http://www.aiuweb.org/Members/MembersA.asp
- ^ http://www.acu.ac.uk/institutions/search?code=IN&member_search.x=29&member_search.y=5
- ^ http://www.barcouncilofindia.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/approvedlawcolleges.pdf
- ^ http://www.coa.gov.in/STATUS.pdf
- ^ http://www.ncte-india.org/recoginst.htm
- ^ a b University Grants Commission (2009). "UGC Inspection report July 2009". Inspection report. UGC. http://www.ugc.ac.in/inside/privateuniversities/amityunii.pdf. Retrieved 2011-08-14.
- ^ http://www.asic.org.uk/collegedirectoryInternational.php
- ^ Public Notice, UGC, December 2009
- ^ Report of the UGC Expert Committee for considering the proposal of AmityUniversity, Rajasthan (Private University) for inclusion its name in the list of recognized universities of the U.G.C., June 2011
- ^ MINUTES OF THE 480th MEETING OF THE UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSIONHELD ON 24TH AUGUST, 2011, August 2011
- ^ Amity (2011). "Admission". primary source. Amity. http://www.amity.edu/admission/application_procedure.asp. Retrieved 2011-04-24.
- ^ http://www.amityvarsity.com/AGBS.asp
- ^ http://newzstreet.com/noida/2010/05/05/amity-university-to-train-30000-volunteers-for-cwg
- ^ http://amity.edu/events/eventdetails.asp?id=1213
- ^ http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-07-01/delhi/28288400_1_volunteers-oc-training
- ^ http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/games-will-now-have-just-22-000-volunteers/640672/
- ^ Thousands of Games volunteers quit: report, ABC News, September 30, 2010, retrieved on November 19, 2011
- ^ Amity (2008). "Programs offered". primary source. Amity. http://www.amity.edu/admission/programoffered.asp?stream=G&campus1=Both&Discipline=0. Retrieved 2011-04-24.
- ^ Central Information Commission, Government of India (August 18, 2009). "Appeal ruling". Appeal ruling. Central Information Commission, Government of India. http://rti.india.gov.in/cic_decisions/AD-18082009-01.pdf. Retrieved 2011-04-24.
- ^ Aparna Kalra (June 13, 2008). "Controversies dog Amity but students keep streaming in". News report. Wall Street Journal and Live Mint. http://www.livemint.com/2008/05/27003236/Controversies-dog-Amity-but-st.html. Retrieved 2011-04-24.
- ^ Girja Shankar Kaura (August 24, 2009). "MEA protecting individuals with criminal past: CIC". News report. The Tribune. http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090825/main7.htm. Retrieved 2011-04-24.
