Should autonomous colleges be allowed to grant degrees?

GOOD IDEA Experts say such a move is long overdue, but HRD ministry and UGC have to exercise caution and set out clear guidelines for the institutes

Grant of degrees by autonomous colleges has been a much debated issue. Though the human resource development (HRD) ministry and the University Grants Commission (UGC) and other stakeholders, including autonomous colleges and universities, have been discussing the matter for some time, nothing has been done about it as yet.

Education experts want the colleges to be allowed to grant degrees, but feel UGC and MHRD should exercise caution and set clear guidelines for the same.

As per the 12th Five Year Plan guidelines, once an institute attains the status of an autonomous college, it is entitled to certain privileges such as the freedom to determine and prescribe its own courses of study and syllabi; restructure and redesign the courses to suit local needs; prescribe rules for admission; evolve methods of assessment of students’ performance, conduct examinations and notify results, etc.

Till April 2015, there were 526 autonomous colleges from 97 universities in 25 states in the country and allowing them to grant degrees would definitely improve standards of education in the country. According to Ashok Thakur, former secretary to the government of India, department of higher education, HRD ministry, “Such a move is long overdue. However, in order to do this, it is essential that we upgrade them into universities/deemed universities or declare them as Institutions of National Importance. Under our Constitution, only the universities and Institutions of National Importance created through an Act of Parliament or state legislature or a deemed university created under the UGC Act can grant degrees. These autonomous colleges, therefore, cannot grant degrees unless it’s done through the legislative process. The easiest way out would be to amend the UGC Act and create a special channel for autonomous colleges on the lines of deemed universities based on their track record in teaching and research and accreditation status. Even this one will have to go before the Parliament.”

The UGC and HRD ministry jointly decided during SeptemberOctober 2013 to amend the UGC Act, but there was no clear decision from them. Besides the issue of degree-granting powers it is also important to accept and put into action the entire concept of autonomous colleges and ending the affiliation system, says Thakur.

Institutions are granted autonomy based on factors such as academic reputation, previous performance in university examinations, its academic/co-curricular activities in the past; academic/ extension achievements of the faculty; quality and merit in the selection of students and teachers, adequacy of infrastructure; quality of institutional management; National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) ‘A’ grade; and financial resources provided by the management/ state government for the development of the institution.

MM Ansari, former member, UGC, says that such institutions may be given the power of granting degrees in the disciplines in which they have promoted excellence in education and research. “However, many universities are neither accredited by NAAC nor do they produce graduates who are employable in the knowledge economy, but despite all that are legally allowed to award degrees. The affiliated colleges cannot award degrees because of a legal bar. And, the Central government has not envisaged to bring any such legislation in this regard,” he says.

MM ANSARI, FORMER MEMBER, UGC, SAYS THAT SUCH INSTITUTIONS MAY BE GIVEN THE POWER OF GRANTING DEGREES IN THE DISCIPLINES IN WHICH THEY HAVE PROMOTED EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION AND RESEARCH.