The Telangana government is setting up a panel to audit private universities as directed by the Supreme Court

A significant focus of the investigation is on the financial functioning of private universities, which claim to operate on a “non-profit, no-loss” basis. | Photo credit: File Photo

The Telangana government has decided to audit all private universities in the state in response to Supreme Court directions seeking detailed information on their establishment, administration, academic standards and compliance.

The decision is based on the directions of the Supreme Court in the case of Ayesha Jain vs Union of India, in which the apex court took cognizance of several complaints regarding private universities and asked all state governments to conduct comprehensive inspections and submit affidavits covering various aspects of their operations.

The official said that in accordance with the order, the government has constituted a high-level committee headed by the higher education commissioner. The members of the committee are Secretary Telangana Council of Higher Education (TGCHE), Registrar JNTU as Convenor Member, Registrar Palamuru University, Director Finance and Accounts Osmania University and Deputy Director (Academic-C), Commissioner Technical Education as members.

According to officials, the apex court has directed states to provide details on nine key aspects of private universities. These include the rationale for establishing each university, the objectives of the sponsoring organization and whether any feasibility or policy studies were conducted prior to their establishment.

The court also sought information on land allocations or other concessions granted by the state, the governing bodies of governing institutions and the procedure for appointing their members.

The commission’s affidavit is also expected to explain the admission process, including admission criteria and compliance with statutory provisions, as well as recruitment of teaching staff and adherence to University Grants Commission (UGC) norms.

Furthermore, the court asked the states to clarify the mechanism for monitoring compliance, the frequency of inspections and the measures taken in cases of violations.

A significant focus of the investigation is on the financial functioning of private universities, which claim to operate on a “non-profit, no-loss” basis. The committee will investigate whether institutional funds are diverted to the benefit of the petitioners or their family members and whether the accounts have been audited.

In addition, the commission has to verify that the academic staff are being paid in accordance with the statutory minimum wage provisions and UGC norms and that the salary records have been checked for compliance. Based on the inspection reports, the Telangana government will prepare and submit a detailed affidavit to the Supreme Court.

Published – 19 Jul 2026 21:19 IST