The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Autonomy for colleges: UGC to call for applications again

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 03, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Autonomy for colleges: UGC to call for applications again

By K. Ramachandran

CHENNAI, MAY 2. The University Grants Commission (UGC) is likely to call for applications again from affiliated colleges for grant of autonomous status.

This is because the UGC is still short of its target of granting autonomy to 500 colleges in the country by the end of the Tenth Plan, according to official sources closely connected with the process.

About six weeks ago, the Commission had cleared the applications for autonomy from several States, including 23 colleges from Tamil Nadu, in the presence of the authorities of the State governments and the universities.

A. Gnanam, former Vice-Chancellor of Madras University, who headed an expert committee on autonomous colleges, said even at its recent meeting the UGC could take up only about 110 applications, far less than the expected number. "We have urged the UGC Chairman, Arun Nigavker, to call for more applications and the Commission is likely to invite another set of applications especially from institutions which did not get an opportunity now... "

At present, less than 200 colleges (out of the nearly 13,000 institutions) in the country enjoy academic autonomy; 48 of them in Tamil Nadu. A senior academician in Tamil Nadu says, some of the colleges here have for the past four years been looking forward for a policy announcement on grant of autonomy. "Some of them could not or did not apply in time. They need to be given another opportunity."

M. Aruchami, president, Association of Management of Private Colleges, welcoming the "path-breaking decision" of the UGC to clear all applications to eligible colleges after consulting with the State government and university heads, said this was "the most important academic initiative in many years."

Thanking the UGC and the State government officials for the "timely initiative," he said the association had for the past seven years persistently and patiently championed the cause of autonomy. It considered autonomy as an "invaluable and essential tool" for academic innovation and achievement.

"The association feels particularly happy on the outcome since it was at the behest of its president that the UGC carried out a comprehensive review of the earlier guidelines and replaced them with the present fast track guidelines... " Mr. Aruchami said in a statement.

The regulators and policy makers should continue with the reform for removing the systemic rigidities and autonomous colleges were supported and enabled to enhance academic standards. The success of the autonomous colleges would be crucial for determining the preparedness of the Indian higher educational system to match global competition from 2005, he said. The UGC Chairman should expedite the visit of the standing committees so that all colleges qualifying for autonomous status could make the scheme operational from the beginning of the academic year 2004-05.

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