Establishes Central Universities in India for teaching and research in Sanskrit.
Central Sanskrit Universities Act, 2020
[Act 5 of 2020] [25th March, 2020]
An Act to establish and incorporate Universities for teaching and research in Sanskrit, to develop all-inclusive Sanskrit promotional activities and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
Be it enacted by Parliament in the Seventy-first Year of the Republic of India as follows:—
Statement of Objects and Reasons.—The upgradation of three Deemed to be Universities in Sanskrit, namely, Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, Delhi, Sri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, New Delhi and Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, Triputi into Central Universities through the Central Sanskrit Universities Bill, 2019 would enhance the status of these Universities and will give a boost to Post Graduate, Doctoral and Post Doctoral education and Research in the field of Sanskrit and Shastraic education. It would help in getting better faculty, attract foreign students, Sanskrit scholars, foreign faculty of international repute and help in international collaborations with global Universities across the world. This will also help in enhancing the opportunities for imparting education in the field of Indian Philosophy, Yoga, Ayurveda and Naturopathy.
2. The Bill seeks to achieve the above objectives.
1. Short title and commencement.
1. Short title and commencement.—(1) This Act may be called the Central Sanskrit Universities Act, 2020.
(2) It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.
[Editor’s Note: This Act came into force w.e.f. 30-04-2020.]
| Other Contents of Central Sanskrit Universities Act, 2020 |
|---|
| Sections 1 to 12 |
| Sections 13 to 47 |
| Schedules (with Statues of University) |
2. Definitions.
2. Definitions.—In this Act, and in all Statutes made hereunder, unless the context otherwise requires,—
(a) “Academic Council” means the Academic Council of the University;
(b) “academic staff” means such categories of staff as are designated as academic staff by the Statutes and Ordinances made thereunder;
(c) “Board of Studies” means the Board of Studies of a Department of the University;
(d) “Campus” means any unit established or constituted by the University at any place within or outside India for making arrangements for instruction, research, education and training in Sanskrit and includes an existing Campus established by the University prior to the commencement of this Act;
(e) “Chancellor” and “Vice-Chancellor” mean, respectively, the Chancellor and the Vice-Chancellor of the University;
(f) “College” means a College recognised or affiliated or maintained by the University;
(g) “corresponding University” and “deemed to be University”, in relation to the society known as—
(i) the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi, mean the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi established in the year 1970 which has been conferred the status of deemed to be University in the year 2002;
(ii) Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, New Delhi, mean Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, New Delhi established in the year 1962 which has been conferred the status of deemed to be University in the year 1987;
(iii) the Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, Tirupati, mean the Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, Tirupati established in the year 1961 which has been conferred the status of deemed to be University in the year 1987;
(h) “Court” means the Court of the University;
(i) “Department” means a Department of Studies and includes a Centre of Studies;
(j) “Director” means the Head of a Campus or of a distance education system of the University or of any other academic branch of studies as approved by the Executive Council and prescribed by the Statutes;
(k) “distance education system” means the system of imparting education through any means of communication, such as broadcasting, telecasting, internet, correspondence course, seminar, contact programme, non-formal pattern or a combination of any two or more such means, except the regular system of education;
(l) “employee” means any person appointed by the University on regular basis and includes teaching and non-teaching staff, but does not include an employee of any institution or college or school getting grant-in-aid to any extent whatsoever, or affiliated or recognised, by the University;
(m) “Executive Council” means the Executive Council of the University;
(n) “Faculty” means a faculty of the University;
(o) “Hall” means a unit of residence or of corporate life, being hostel or otherwise, for the students, authorities, officers and employees of the University, or of a Campus or College or Institution or Centre or Department, maintained or authorised by the University;
(p) “Institution” means an academic institution, not being a Campus or College established or maintained or affiliated or recognised by the University;
(q) “Principal” means the Head of a College or School or an Institution established or maintained by the University;
(r) “Regulations” means the Regulations made by any authority of the University under this Act for the time being in force;
(s) “Sanskrit” means the Sanskrit language, in modern, classical or ancient form, and the knowledge available therein or related thereto, in addition to Sanskrit language;
(t) “Schedule” means a Schedule appended to this Act;
(u) “School” means a School recognised or affiliated or maintained by the University for secondary, primary and elementary levels or equivalent thereto;
(v) “School of Studies” means a School of Studies of the University;
(w) “Society” means any of the following societies registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 (21 of 1860), namely:—
(i) the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi (Registration No. S/4694 of 1970-71);
(ii) Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, New Delhi (Registration No. S17454 of 1987);
(iii) the Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, Tirupati (Registration No. 345 of 1986);
(x) “Statutes” and “Ordinances” mean, respectively, the Statutes and the Ordinances of the University for the time being in force;
(y) “teachers of the University” means Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors and such other persons as may be appointed for imparting instructions or conducting research in the University or in any College or Institution maintained by the University and are designated as teachers by the Ordinances, but does not include the teaching staff of an institution or a college or school getting grant-in-aid to any extent whatsoever, or affiliated or recognised, by the University;
(z) “University” means a University established and incorporated as a University under this Act.
3. Establishment of Universities.
3. Establishment of Universities.—(1) The following deemed to be Universities shall be established as three separate Central Universities as under:—
(a) the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi, along with its campuses as specified in the First Schedule, shall be established as a body corporate under this Act by the name of “the Central Sanskrit University”, which shall have its headquarters in New Delhi;
(b) Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, New Delhi shall be established as a body corporate under this Act by the name of “Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University”, which shall have its headquarters in New Delhi;
(c) the Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, Tirupati shall be established as a body corporate under this Act by the name of “the National Sanskrit University”, which shall have its headquarters in Tirupati.
(2) The Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor and the members of the Executive Council and of the Academic Council of each University, and all persons who may hereafter become such officers or members, so long as they continue to hold such office or membership, are hereby constituted a body corporate by the name of the University.
(3) The University shall have perpetual succession and a common seal, and shall sue and be sued by the said name.
4. Effect of establishment of University.
4. Effect of establishment of University.—On and from the date of commencement of this Act,—
(a) the societies, namely, the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, New Delhi and the Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, Tirupati shall stand dissolved;
(b) any reference to a society or to a deemed to be University in any law (other than this Act) or in any contract or other instrument shall be deemed as a reference to the corresponding University established and incorporated under this Act;
(c) all properties, movable and immovable, of or belonging to a society or to a deemed to be University shall vest in the corresponding University established and incorporated under this Act;
(d) all rights and liabilities of a society or of a deemed to be University shall be transferred to, and be the rights and liabilities of, the corresponding University established and incorporated under this Act;
(e) every person employed by a society or a deemed to be University immediately before such commencement shall hold his office or service in the corresponding University established and incorporated under this Act, by the same tenure, at the same remuneration and upon the same terms and conditions and with the same rights and privileges as to pension, leave, gratuity, provident fund and other matters as they would have held the same if this Act had not been enacted and shall continue to do so unless and until their employment is terminated or until such tenure, remuneration and terms and conditions are duly altered by the Executive Council or the Statutes:
Provided that if the alteration so made is not acceptable to such employee, his employment may be terminated by the University in accordance with the term of the contract with the employee or, if no provision is made therein in this behalf, on payment to him by the University of compensation equivalent to three months' remuneration in case of permanent employees and one month's remuneration in the case of other employees:
Provided further that every person employed before the commencement of this Act, pending the execution of a contract under Section 34, shall be deemed to have been appointed in accordance with the provisions of a contract consistent with the provisions of this Act and the Statutes:
Provided also that any reference, by whatever form of words, to the Vice-Chancellor of a deemed to be University in any law for the time being in force, or in any contract or other document, shall be construed as a reference to the Vice-Chancellor of the corresponding University established and incorporated under this Act;
(f) the Vice-Chancellor of a deemed to be University appointed prior to the commencement of this Act and holding office as such, shall be deemed to have been appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of the corresponding University under this Act;
(g) all Colleges, Institutions, Schools of Studies, and Departments affiliated to, or admitted to the privileges of, or maintained by, the deemed to be University shall stand affiliated to, or admitted to the privilege of, or maintained by, the corresponding University established and incorporated under this Act.
5. Objects of University.
5. Objects of University.—The objects of the University shall be to disseminate and advance knowledge by providing instructional, research and extension facilities to the promotion of Sanskrit Language and such other branches of learning as it may deem fit; to make special provisions for integrated courses in humanities, social sciences and science in its educational programmes; to take appropriate measures for promoting innovations in teaching-learning process and inter-disciplinary studies and research; to educate and train manpower for the overall development, promotion, preservation and research in the field of Sanskrit and Sanskrit traditional subjects.
6. Powers of University.
6. Powers of University.—(1) The University shall have the following powers, namely:—
(i) to provide for instructions in such branches of learning including Sanskrit and Sanskrit traditional subjects, as may be specified in the Statute or as may be determined by the University, from time to time, and to make provisions for research and advancement and dissemination of knowledge;
(ii) to grant, subject to such condition as the University may determine, diplomas or certificates to, and confer degrees or other academic distinctions on, persons on the basis of examination, evaluation or any other method of testing, and to withdraw any such diplomas, certificates, degrees or other academic distinctions for good and sufficient cause;
(iii) to organise and undertake extramural studies, training, extension services and such other measures for the promotion of Sanskrit education;
(iv) to confer honorary degrees or other distinctions in the manner prescribed by the Statutes;
(v) to provide facilities of teaching and learning through the distance education system or online mode, as it may determine;
(vi) to provide for education not only at University or College level leading to excellence and innovations in various branches of knowledge as may be deemed fit, but continue to provide education to schools already affiliated to the University;
(vii) to provide facilities for imparting higher education in such branches of learning, including Indian Philosophy, Pali-Prakrit, Sanskrit literature, Yoga, Ayurveda and Naturopathy, as the University may determine;
(viii) to institute Principalships, Professorships, Associate Professorships, Assistant Professorships and other teaching or academic positions, required by the University and to appoint persons for such Principalships, Professorships, Associate Professorships, Assistant Professorships or other teaching or academic positions;
(ix) to recognise an institution of higher learning for such purposes as the University may determine and to withdraw such recognition;
(x) to appoint persons working in any other University or academic institution as teachers of the University in accordance with the Statutes;
(xi) to create administrative, ministerial and other posts and to make appointments thereto, on regular basis as well as engagement on short-term basis in accordance with the Statutes;
(xii) to co-operate, collaborate or associate with any other University or authority or institution of higher learning, including those located outside the country, in such manner and for such purposes, as the University may determine;
(xiii) to establish, maintain, affiliate, recognise Colleges, Institutions and such Centres and specialised laboratories or other units for research and instruction as are, in the opinion of the University, necessary for the furtherance of its objects;
(xiv) to institute and award fellowships, scholarships, studentships, medals and prizes;
(xv) to make provision for research and consultancy or advisory services, and for that purpose, to enter into such arrangements with other Universities, Institutions or bodies, as the University may deem necessary;
(xvi) to organise and conduct refresher courses, workshops, seminars and other programmes for teachers, evaluators and other academic and non-academic staff;
(xvii) to appoint on contract or otherwise Visiting Professors, Emeritus Professors, Consultants, Professionals, Advocates, Counsels, Specialists and such other persons who may contribute to the advancement of the objects of the University;
(xviii) to confer autonomous status on a College or an Institution or a Department, as the case may be, in accordance with the Statutes;
(xix) to determine standards and eligibilities for admission to the University, which may include examination, evaluation or any other method of testing;
(xx) to demand and receive payment of fees and other charges in accordance with the Statutes;
(xxi) to supervise or cause to supervise the residences of the staff, faculty and students of the University and to make arrangements for promoting their health and general welfare;
(xxii) to lay down conditions of service of all categories of employees, including their code of conduct;
(xxiii) to regulate and enforce discipline among the students and employees of the University, and to take such disciplinary measures in this regard as may be deemed by the University to be necessary;
(xxiv) to make special arrangements in respect of women, children and persons with disability, as the University may consider desirable;
(xxv) to accept benefactions, donations, gifts in cash or kind for furtherance of the objects of the University, and to acquire, hold and manage and to dispose of with the previous approval of the Central Government, any property, movable or immovable, including trust and endowment properties for the purposes of the University;
(xxvi) to borrow, with the prior approval of the Central Government, on the security of the property of the University, money for the purpose of the University;
(xxvii) to establish new Campuses in India and also off-shore campus or Centre of the University with the prior permission of the Central Government as per the procedure established thereof;
(xxviii) to do all such other acts and things as may be necessary, incidental or conducive to the attainment of all or any of the objects of the University.
(2) In exercising its powers referred to in sub-section (1), it shall be the endeavour of the University to maintain an all-India character and high standards of teaching and research, and the University shall, among other measures which may be necessary for the said purpose, take, in particular, the following measures, namely:—
(i) admission of students and recruitment of faculty shall be made on all-India basis;
(ii) admissions of students shall be made on merit, either through Common Entrance Tests conducted individually by the University or in combination with other Universities, or on the basis of marks obtained in the qualifying examination in such courses where the intake of students is small;
(iii) inter-University mobility of faculty, with portable pensions and protection of seniority, shall be encouraged;
(iv) semester system, continuous evaluation, choice-based credit system or any other ancient, traditional or modern appropriate system as may be deemed to be fit and proper shall be introduced and the University shall enter into agreements with other Universities and academic institutions for credit transfer and joint degree programmes;
(v) ancient traditional teaching system including Gurukulas and Vedashalas shall be adopted in such areas and conditions as may be determined by the Executive Council.
7. University to be open to all caste, creed, race or class.
7. University to be open to all caste, creed, race or class.—The University shall be open to all persons of either sex and whatever caste, creed, race or class, and it shall not be lawful for the University to adopt or impose on any person, any test whatsoever of religious belief or profession in order to entitle him to be appointed as a teacher of the University or to hold any other office therein or be admitted as a student in the University or to graduate thereat or to enjoy or exercise any privilege thereof:
Provided that nothing in this section shall be deemed to prevent the University from making special provisions for the employment or admission of women, persons with disabilities or of persons belonging to the weaker sections of the society and, in particular, of the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and the other socially and educationally backward classes of citizens, economically weaker section of the unreserved class and other special categories as stipulated by the Central Government from time to time.
8. Visitor of University.
8. Visitor of University.—(1) The President of India shall be the Visitor of the University.
(2) The Visitor may, from time to time, appoint one or more persons to review the work and progress of the University, Colleges, Schools and Institutions maintained by it, and to submit a report thereon; and upon receipt of that report, the Visitor may, after obtaining the views of the Executive Council thereon through the Vice-Chancellor, take such action and issue such directions, as he considers necessary, in respect of any of the matters dealt with in the report and the University shall abide by such action and be bound to comply with such directions.
(3) The Visitor shall have the right to cause an inspection to be made by such person or persons as he may direct, of the University, its buildings, libraries, laboratories and equipment, and of any Centre, Department, School, College or Institution maintained by the University and also of the examinations, teaching and other work conducted or done by the University and to cause an inquiry to be made in like manner in respect of any matter connected with the administration or finances of the University, Centre, Department or Institution or affiliated or recognised College or School.
(4) The Visitor shall, in every matter referred to in sub-section (3), give notice of his intention to cause an inspection or inquiry to be made, to the University, and the University shall have the right to make such representations to the Visitor, as it may consider necessary.
(5) After considering the representations, if any, made by the University, the Visitor may cause to be made such inspection or inquiry as is referred to in sub-section (3).
(6) Where any inspection or inquiry has been caused to be made by the Visitor, the University shall be entitled to appoint a representative who shall have the right to be present and be heard at such inspection or inquiry.
(7) The Visitor may, if the inspection or inquiry is made in respect of the University or any College or School or Institution maintained by it, address the Vice-Chancellor with reference to the result of such inspection or inquiry together with the such views and advice with regard to the action to be taken thereon, as the Visitor may be pleased to offer and on receipt of address made by the Visitor, the Vice-Chancellor shall communicate, to the Executive Council, the views of the Visitor with such advice as the Visitor may offer upon the action to be taken thereon.
(8) The Executive Council shall communicate through the Vice-Chancellor to the Visitor such action, if any, as it proposes to take or has been taken upon the result of such inspection or inquiry.
(9) Where the Executive Council does not, within a reasonable time, take action to the satisfaction of the Visitor, the Visitor may, after considering any explanation furnished or representation made by the Executive Council issue such directions as he may think fit and the Executive Council shall comply with such directions.
(10) Without prejudice to the foregoing provisions of this section, the visitor may, by order in writing, annul any proceeding of the University which is not in conformity with the Act, the Statutes or the Ordinances:
Provided that before making any such order, the Visitor shall call upon the Registrar to show cause why such an order should not be made, and, if any cause is shown within a reasonable time, he shall consider the same.
(11) The Visitor shall have such other powers as may be prescribed by the Statutes.
9. Officers of University.
9. Officers of University.—The following shall be the officers of the University, namely:—
(1) the Chancellor;
(2) the Vice-Chancellor;
(3) the Deans of School of Studies;
(4) the Registrar;
(5) the Finance Officer;
(6) the Controller of Examinations;
(7) the Librarian; and
(8) such other officers as may be declared by the Statutes to be the officers of the University.
10. Chancellor.
10. Chancellor.—(1) The Chancellor shall be appointed by the Visitor in such manner as may be prescribed by the Statutes.
(2) The Chancellor shall, by virtue of his office, be the Head of the University and shall, if present, preside at the Convocations of the University held for conferring degrees and meetings of the Court.
(3) The Chancellor shall act as an appellate authority in the cases where the Executive Council is the disciplinary authority.
11. Vice-Chancellor.
11. Vice-Chancellor.—(1) The Vice-Chancellor shall be appointed by the Visitor in such manner as may be prescribed by the Statutes.
(2) The Vice-Chancellor shall be the principal executive and academic officer of the University and shall exercise general supervision and control over the affairs of the University and give effect to the decision of all the authorities of the University.
(3) The Vice-Chancellor may, if he is of the opinion that immediate action is necessary on any matter, exercise any power conferred on any authority of the University by or under this Act and shall report to such authority at its next meeting the action taken by him on such matter:
Provided that if the authority concerned is of the opinion that such action ought not to have been taken, it may refer the matter to the Visitor whose decision thereon shall be final:
Provided further that any person in the service of the University who is aggrieved by the action taken by the Vice-Chancellor under this sub-section shall have the right to represent against such action to the Executive Council within three months from the date on which decision on such action is communicated to him and thereupon the Executive Council may confirm, modify or reverse the action taken by the Vice-Chancellor.
(4) The Vice-Chancellor, if he is of the opinion that any decision of any authority of the University is beyond the powers of the authority conferred by the provisions of this Act, the Statutes or the Ordinances or that any decision taken is not in the interest of the University, may ask the authority concerned to review its decision within sixty days of such decision and if the authority refuses to review the decision either in whole or in part or no decision is taken by it within the said period of sixty days, the matter shall be referred to the Visitor whose decision thereon shall be final.
(5) The Vice-Chancellor shall exercise such other powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Statutes or the Ordinances.
12. Deans of Schools of Studies.
12. Deans of Schools of Studies.—Every Dean of School of Studies shall be appointed in such manner and shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as may be prescribed by the Statutes.
[disclaimer]
