KARACHI, Oct 24: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has no authority to grant affiliation or permission to any educational institution for running degree programmes as the main function of the UGC is to assess the financial needs of the universities and review their syllabus, Karachi University Affiliation Committee’s secretary Dr Shahid Zaidi told PPI.

A lot of educational institutions in private sector are advertising for admissions in degree programmes in Karachi, claiming that the UGC had authorized them or granted them the No Objection Certificate for establishment of institute and start degree programmes, by having affiliation with other regional or foreign universities.

He observed that all such institutions offering degree programmes after having NOC from the UGC, operating within the jurisdictions of KU, were unlawful and their degrees would never be recognized by the university.

There has been a mushroom growth of educational institutions in the city, which offer BBA and BCS programmes without having affiliation with any university, and play havoc with the careers of students, he maintained and added that it was the responsibility of the provincial education department to check all such institutions and take necessary action.

“Even the provincial government is bound to consult the regional university (KU) before awarding charter to any institution in the city, but unfortunately, rules are being violated by the law keepers,” he contended.

Dr Zaidi informed that they had granted affiliation to five educational institutions for BBA programmes and another institution for running BCS programmes in Karachi, while application of one of the institutions was being considered for the purpose.

He said it was the responsibility of the parents to check the affiliation of institutions, in which they were going to admit their children, as degrees awarded by any institution would never be recognized by the KU and the student would not be entitled to get admission to the university for any further degree program.

“All universities located outside Karachi have cancelled the affiliations of degree awarding institutions operating in Karachi and if any institution claims to have a foreign affiliation or from any university situated outside Karachi, it is misguiding the students,” he clarified.—PPI