Autonomy talk back in DU, Stephen’s discusses plan
The debate over granting autonomous status to different colleges of Delhi University is back. On Saturday, St Stephen’s College has called a meeting of the governing body to discuss the university’s proposal for the grant of autonomy.
The Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) has called for protest against this meeting that has been called. They say that by granting autonomy, DU will be disintegrated and it is a move towards fund cut and privatisation.
The autonomous status means that the colleges will be able to frame their own syllabus, follow their own fee structure and they will no longer be a constituent college of DU. The colleges will have a deemed university status.
There are more colleges like Shri Ram College for Commerce (SRCC), Hansraj College and few other trust-run colleges that have been seeking autonomy. The debate about granting autonomy dates back to the 80s.
In 1981, St Stephen’s was offered autonomy by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. Then too, DUTA had opposed the move.
In 2013, there was similar situation with Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR).
“With autonomy, funding to these colleges will slowly be reduced and finally cut completely. It is a policy of the gov-
IF GRANTED AUTONOMY, THE COLLEGES WILL BE ABLE TO FRAME THEIR OWN SYLLABUS, FOLLOW THEIR
OWN FEE STRUCTURE
ernment towards privatisation and killing of the public-funded institutions,” said Rajesh Jha, executive council member.
On November 2016, University Grants Commission had sent a notice to the Delhi university, and colleges that features on autonomous colleges clause have been incorporated in the UGC IX Plan guidelines. This clause of the guidelines was revised by the ministry in 2013 under their sixth Five Year Plan. “Principals of the colleges who wish to avail the benefits of the UGC scheme may apply to the revised guidelines,” the UGC notice said.
So following orders, the Delhi University has formed a committee to look into the matter.
“We are at present looking into the proposals and only institutions that has the required infrastructure, teacher-student ratio will be given autonomous status,” said a member of the university committee.
St Stephen’s principal was not available for comment.