University Grants Commission has granted autonomy to sixty Higher Educational Institutions which have maintained high academic standards. This was announced by the Minister of Human Resource Development, Shri Prakash Javadekar at a media briefing in New Delhi today. Shri Javadekar said that the Government is striving to introduce a liberalized regime in the education sector and emphasis is on linking autonomy with quality.
This list also includes KLE Academy of Higher Education and Research, Belagavi. The UGC placed them in the list of category II of institutions eligible for graded autonomy according to new regulations notified by the higher education regulator recently.
Giving further details, Shri Prakash Javadekar said that the sixty Higher Educational Institutions which have been granted autonomy includes 52 Universities i.e. 5 central universities, 21 state universities, 24 deemed universities, and 2 private universities. Shri Javadekar explained that these universities will remain within the ambit of UGC but will have the freedom to start new courses, off campus centers, skill development courses, research parks and any other new academic programs. They will also have the freedom to hire foreign faculty, enroll foreign students, give incentive based emoluments to the faculty, enter into academic collaborations and run open distance learning programmes.
Eight colleges have also been granted autonomy, the HRD Minister said. The eight autonomous collages will be free to set their own syllabus, hold examinations, carry out evaluation as well as declare results. In this case, only the degree will be awarded by the respective university.
The Minister also said that a show cause notice will be given to three deemed universities which are lacking in quality.
