The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Autonomy for 18 colleges under study

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 05, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Autonomy for 18 colleges under study

K. Ramachandran

Eight institutions under University of Madras in the list

CHENNAI: Eighteen more colleges in Tamil Nadu are being considered for grant of autonomy. The University Grants Commission has proposed to inspect these colleges (as also 12 others in other parts of the country).

Of the 18, eight colleges are from the University of Madras, three from the Madurai Kamaraj University, two each from the Bharatidasan and Thiruvalluvar Universities, and one each from the Periyar, Bharathiar and Manonmanian Sundaranar universities.

Academic freedom

When these institutions — which have been accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council — attain the autonomous status, they will have the freedom to revise the curriculum, introduce inter-disciplinary courses in tune with new developments, a credit-based system with various electives that gives flexibility to students to study subjects of their choice and interest, and, most importantly, change the rigid examination/evaluation system.

The Tamil Nadu State Council of Higher Education, which has been spearheading the movement for grant of autonomy to more institutions, recently organised a seminar for the principals of the colleges awaiting the status.

The Vice-Chancellors/Registrars of the Universities and the Deans of the colleges participated in the meet, as also an invited group of academicians.

Innovative programmes

At the meeting, the principals said autonomy was needed if the colleges were to develop academically and offer innovative programmes to meet the needs and aspirations of the community. Their institutions had taken steps for implementing the autonomous scheme including provision of information to the academic and administrative staff and students; improvements in infrastructure; constitution of various statutory and non-statutory committees and Boards of studies; gathering information on new and innovative courses; and introducing a choice-based credit system.

Motivation

They said they had motivated the faculty to get involved in the planning process for implementing autonomy. They were also anxious to go in for autonomy in the current semester itself.

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