The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : 150 colleges identified for autonomous status

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 18, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

150 colleges identified for autonomous status

By Our Staff Reporter

COIMBATORE, OCT. 17. The University Grants Commission (UGC) is keen on encouraging educational institutions to opt for academic autonomy, its Vice-Chairman V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai said today.

He told presspersons here that academic autonomy would have to go hand in hand with greater accountability. The Commission was preparing guidelines to monitor academic performance at three different levels. It had identified 150 colleges for grant of autonomy.

The UGC would ask colleges to submit information on "meaningful employment" of past students, involvement in research activities, distinctions gained by alumni at the national level and details of former students who rose to important positions in society.

"We want the names and addresses of these students. The information will be a test of the institution and a measure of its utility to students," he said.

Besides, it was also preparing guidelines for universities to help formulate suitable syllabi. Though autonomous colleges were free to frame their own syllabi, experts on the syllabus committee would provide guidance and advice.

Mr. Pillai said the consortium concept was being implemented in some States, including West Bengal and Maharashtra. Autonomous colleges could opt for the consortium approach by forwarding proposals to the UGC, obtaining funds for pilot schemes.

Universities were free to interact with foreign universities, but it was the responsibility of the Indian institutions to find out and notify the credentials of the overseas institutions. Academic collaboration should be initiated only with institutions that carried credibility. The UGC would help to keep track of such efforts to form academic links.

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