CAG Audit Exposes Barkatullah University's Affiliation Violations in MP Colleges
A recent Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report has uncovered serious lapses in the affiliation process at Barkatullah University in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The audit, covering findings up to 2023, reveals that the state university granted affiliation to Government College, Badi, in Raisen district despite the institution failing to meet essential UGC Regulations, 2009 norms.
College Operating in Cramped School Premises
The audit found that Government College, Badi, located approximately 45 kilometers from Bhopal, was operating in just 420 square feet across three rooms inside a Government Girls School. Despite these severely limited facilities, the college admitted 60 students across various subjects. According to the CAG report, the college lacked the mandated land, infrastructure, and facilities required under UGC regulations.
Paragraph 3.1 of the UGC Regulations specifically demands undisputed ownership of five acres for rural colleges, along with adequate buildings for lectures, seminars, laboratories, and libraries. Essential amenities including water supply, electricity, proper ventilation, toilets, sewer systems, a library with at least 1,000 books, a multipurpose hall, and separate common rooms for boys and girls are mandatory requirements before any affiliation approval.
University Overlooked Critical Deficiencies
Despite these glaring deficiencies, Barkatullah University granted affiliation to the college. The institution had no ownership papers and no proper campus—merely operating from a cramped corner within a girls' school, which compromised both student safety and learning quality.
In September 2024, the university responded to the audit findings by claiming full compliance with Higher Education Department (HED) orders and stating that a post-inspection committee had approved the affiliation. However, auditors dismissed this response as untenable.
"Affiliation was granted without verifying UGC norms," the report states emphatically, warning that this oversight "affected the quality of educational learning" for vulnerable rural students who deserve proper educational facilities.
University Official's Response
When contacted, Punit Shukla, Assistant Registrar (Academic) at Barkatullah University, acknowledged the situation. "The college was launched in a hurry after the state government announced plans to open the campus. We will look into the matter," Shukla stated.
This incident is not isolated but reflects a broader pattern of academic shortcuts that erode educational standards in Madhya Pradesh's hinterland regions, where quality higher education access remains challenging.
Audit Reveals 14-Year Pattern of Violations
The CAG audit further exposed that Barkatullah University has been granting and renewing permanent affiliations to colleges in violation of its own Statute 27 for at least 14 years, consistently ignoring mandatory land and accreditation requirements.
Jawahar Lal Nehru College Irregularities
Jawahar Lal Nehru College in Bhopal topped the list of irregularities identified by auditors. Despite operating from a rented building on a 2,400 square foot plot with a 9,600 square foot built-up area and lacking any space for sports facilities, the university awarded it permanent affiliation in 2009-10.
Remarkably, the college held no accreditation from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) or any state- or central government-recognized agency. Yet Barkatullah University renewed its affiliation status annually without requiring any rectification of these fundamental deficiencies.
Additional Violations Identified
The audit revealed that three other colleges also received permanent affiliations without the required NAAC or equivalent accreditation. This breaches rules that demand at least two acres of land in urban areas along with statutory accreditation for higher education institutions.
The CAG report flagged the university's persistent oversight in these matters, raising serious questions about governance and compliance standards in Madhya Pradesh's higher education system.
University's Defense and Current Status
In response to these findings, Barkatullah University officials stated that the college in question has since been shifted to new premises. "The college is now following all norms after shifting to a new campus," said Assistant Registrar Punit Shukla, though the audit report emphasizes that the original affiliation violated multiple regulations at the time it was granted.
The CAG audit findings highlight systemic issues in university affiliation processes that potentially compromise educational quality across multiple institutions in Madhya Pradesh, calling for urgent reforms and stricter adherence to established norms and regulations.
