SC questions Education Secretary over delay in supporting private university audit panel

The Supreme Court on May 19 pulled up Vineet Joshi, Secretary of the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education, for failing to fully implement its earlier directions on providing logistical support to a committee examining the functioning and regulation of private universities across the country.

A Bench comprising Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and NV Anjaria questioned the delay in extending infrastructure and administrative support to a panel headed by former Indian Legal Service officer RM Sharma, which had been appointed by the court to review issues related to private universities.

“Mr Joshi, why did you not take this matter seriously? I did not expect this from a senior bureaucrat like you. Is this the manner in which orders of the Supreme Court are to be treated so lightly?... You have misunderstood the court and its position under the Constitution,” Justice Amanullah orally observed during the hearing.

The court had earlier issued a contempt notice to Joshi while reviewing compliance with its April 20 order directing the Centre to provide office space, stenographic assistance, and other logistical facilities to the committee.

The matter originated from a petition filed by an Amity University student who alleged harassment after requesting a change of name in university records.

During the proceedings, the court widened the scope of the case and sought information from States and Union Territories regarding the administration of private universities, staff wages, and the process of appointing governing bodies.

The Department of Higher Education was designated as the nodal ministry to support the committee’s functioning.

Earlier this month, Sharma informed the Bench that the stenographer assigned to assist the committee lacked adequate English proficiency and could not properly take dictation.

He also told the court that a lawyer connected to the panel had been helping with typing work, while secretarial assistance had been arranged privately.

Following the complaints, the court directed Joshi to appear personally during the latest hearing.

During the proceedings, Justice Amanullah remarked, “You did not show the seriousness, Mr Joshi… Mr Sharma is representing us; he is the face of the court. Is this the way he is supposed to be treated?”

However, Sharma later informed the Bench that the required support had now been provided and that the earlier issues had been “ironed out."

The Supreme Court also reviewed Sharma’s latest report on compliance by States and Union Territories with previous directions and granted them five additional weeks to submit responses.

The Bench directed state governments to provide details regarding benefits extended to private universities, including land allotments and information related to the constitution of governing boards.

The court further asked Joshi to submit recommendations concerning the establishment, administration, and regulation of universities functioning under different ministries. The recommendations are to be filed through an affidavit by July 10.

“We request Vineet Joshi to assist and advise the court with regard to any core issue which the court may not have noticed till now, going by his experience as Secretary to the Department of Higher Education, Government of India, for over a year now,” the Bench observed.

In an earlier order passed on Nov 20, 2025, the Supreme Court had sought comprehensive details from States, Union Territories, and the University Grants Commission regarding the governance, administration, admissions, and appointment policies of universities operating under various ministries.