Madurai: Recognised univsities were free to enter into Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) with private institutes to offer various courses, former University Grants Commission Chairman and Vice-Chancellor or Indira Gandhi National Open University V N Rajesekharan Pillai said today.

Pillai, who is the Chairman of the Distance Education Council of the IGNOU, was answering a question from reporters here about the controversies over some universities entering into agreement with private institutes and offering courses not recognised by the UGC.

He said so far as the MoUs were of good quality, there should be no problem.

When the government Itself had notified that universities could even enter into MoUs with foreign universities, where was the question of restrictions about universities entering into private public participation, he asked.

Though the allocation for the higher education had been on the increase with the government deciding to focus on it, the Private-Pulic Participation in the education sector had come to stay, he said. Guidelines had been issued on this.

He said the IGNOU's Pan-African Educational Programme, which was inaugurated by then President A P J Abdul Kalam, was very successful with two semesters completed. There was a plan to strengthen it further and extend it other other African and SAARC countries.

A formal extension programme would be held in the first week of February.

Source : PTI