NEWS TODAY 29.09.2025

 

UGC cracks down on 10 universities

UGC cracks down on 10 universities

Bhopal : 29.09.2025

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has raised serious concern over noncompliance by 10 private universities of Madhya Pradesh regarding mandatory information disclosure. Despite repeated reminders, these private universities have defaulted in submitting details under Section 13 of the UGC Act, 1956, and in uploading the required public self disclosure information on their official websites.

Issuing the notice on its official portal, UGC stated that as per the guidelines on public self disclosure by higher education institutions, issued on June 10, 2024, every higher education institution must maintain a functional website carrying all relevant institutional details. "These disclosures should be easily accessible on the homepage without login requirements, and equipped with a proper search facility. The norms mandate transparency, enabling students and the general public to verify key information," UGC authorities stated in the notice. 

In addition to website disclosure, universities were directed to submit detailed information in the prescribed proforma along with duly attested supporting documents. This submission was intended for inspection under Section 13 of the UGC Act, 1956. Institutions were further asked to host the same documents on their respective websites for public access. The UGC noted that despite multiple reminders through e-mails and online meetings, 10 private universities of MP have failed to comply with these directions. The regulator has now circulated a list of defaulting universities, warning them to ensure compliance at the earliest. UGC has reiterated that transparency in higher education is non-negotiable and universities failing to adhere to the norms could face consequences. TNN

E-office goes offline: Are ministers in love with pen and paper in MP?

E-office goes offline: Are ministers in love with pen and paper in MP?

9 Months Since Its Launch, New System Fails To Bridge The Last-Mile Gap

Ankur.Sirothia@timesofindia.com 29.09.2025

Bhopal : The much-publicised e-office system in Madhya Pradesh, intended to transition government file processing from paper to digital, has failed to gain full traction—particularly among ministers, who remain reluctant to adopt the paperless system. While files now move digitally from clerks to senior bureaucrats like additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries, and secretaries, the process breaks down at the ministerial level. 

Once a file reaches a minister, it is printed out and converted back into a physical document for approval. Recently, officials from the General Administration Department (GAD) confirmed that ministers have yet to begin using the e-office system. The system was formally launched on January 1 this year by chief minister Mohan Yadav, who hailed it as a step toward transparency and good governance through digitalization. 

Prior to its launch, departments received training in digital file handling. The system was first introduced in the Secretariat, CM Office, and chief secretary’s office, and later expanded to departmental heads and district collectors. Notably, on October 25, 2024, the chief secretary had ordered all departments to fully implement e-office by January 1, 2025. The objective was to improve transparency, streamline workflows, and ensure timely completion of tasks. However, ministers remain outside the digital loop, with no set timeline for their inclusion. 

This isn't the government’s first attempt at digitalizing file movement. The idea of replacing penand-paper with a digital system was floated as early as 2006, but little progress was made. It was revived in 2016, and serious implementation efforts began in 2017. The e-office system was introduced in April 2018, and the General Administration Department mandated all departments to adopt it. A dedicated control room was established, and around 500 new computers and 150 scanners were installed at the Secretariat. Employees were trained in various aspects of the system—including file tracking, confidentiality protocols, and digital drafting—but the initiative lost momentum due to the 2018 election year. 

When the Congress government took office, it expanded the e-office system to the district level and set deadlines, but the administration changed again within 18 months, followed by the disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic. In November 2021, new security guidelines were issued for e-office usage, emphasizing data safety, e-signatures, and limiting physical copies to confidential documents only. However, interest in the system faded once more. The project was relaunched in January 2025 and is now active across the Secretariat and field offices. Yet ministers continue to prefer paper files. “Files in the e-office cannot be held back indefinitely. The e-office system shows when and at which level a file is stuck”, said a senior GAD official.