Process for Educationals Institutions to Gain Autonomy under UGC to Become Easier

NEW DELHI: The process to gain the status of an Autonomous institution in the field of education will become much simpler as the University Grants Commission proposes to change the existing process. These changes are in line with the National Education Policy of 2020.

The University Grants Commission is the apex organization when it comes to the higher education sector in India. It is the regulatory body that gives the necessary permissions needed for any college. Autonomous institutions are allowed by the UGC to provide certifications, without the interference of the local administration in terms of the curriculum. This way, private colleges, and universities can continue to enable time and industry-relevant courses to their students.

But as of now, the process to gain that status involves both long and tiresome procedures. Many rounds of inspections of key resources including classrooms, teachers, laboratories, etc. were part of the existing process. The applicants also have to go through a tough scrutiny process by expert committees. The key idea behind the proposed changes is to speed up the process of granting autonomy status to any college by linking it to National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) ratings. The new draft allows making these site visits no longer compulsory.

The proposal also aims to change how the existing autonomous status can be extended or retained. As of now, the status is initially granted for a decade. But now, this permission will be automatically extended for another decade if the institution has a Grade - A certification from NAAC.

Autonomous institutions will be able to create and update their own syllabi and courses of study. Higher education institutions will have the freedom to tailor the courses to suit local needs and make them skill-oriented to match the job requirements. Autonomous college can also stipulate their own rules of admission, assessment methods, and other necessary details.

The new draft of the UGC also has the provision to allow colleges to apply directly to the Commission on its portal.

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