The deemed-to-be-university status is denied by the HRD ministry for College of Engineering Pune (CoEP). However, the authorities for the universities have professed that it is just their misinterpretation and they have again sent a plea for review.
The ministry’s letter on February 22, 2018 said, “CoEP neither fulfills eligibility conditions of UGC regulations 2010 nor 2016. Therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred under section 3 of the UGC Act 1956, the application for conferment of Deemed to be University status to the CoEP has been rejected.”
BB Ahuja, the director of CoEP said, “We have been denied the status on the grounds that we don’t have a UGC granted centre with potential of excellence with a grant of Rs 1.5 core yet. However, we have two centres with potential of excellence granted HRD ministry with a Rs 5 crore funding from World Bank. Hence, this is a matter of misinterpretation. We have written to the ministry stating that we have the centres.”