Post autonomy challenges faced by colleges

Source-This post-on Post autonomy challenges faced by colleges has been created based on the article “Universities must budge on college autonomy nudge” published in “The Hindu” on 4 April 2024.

UPSC Syllabus-GS Paper-2– Issues Relating to Development and Management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education.

Context– The University Grants Commission (UGC) has recently launched a new regulation to grant autonomy to colleges. As per The National Education Policy 2020, colleges should be granted autonomy so that they can enhance their capacity for innovation, self-governance, and academic freedom.

What is the significance of granting autonomy to colleges?

1) Flexibility -Autonomous colleges can tailor their curriculum to meet the evolving needs of students and industries. They can experiment with new teaching methodologies and research initiatives. This can drive the frontiers of knowledge and contribute to societal development.

2) Accountability-It cultivates a culture of accountability and responsibility among colleges.They get ownership of their academic and administrative decisions. This empowerment enhances institutional efficiency and fosters a sense of pride and identity within colleges.This,in turn, motivates faculty and staff to strive for excellence.

3) Improved ranking– In the ‘Colleges Category’ of The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) of 2023, there were 55 autonomous colleges in top 100.This speaks volume of the significance of granting autonomy to colleges. Further, in the top 10 colleges of the NIRF Rankings of 2023 from the college category, 5 are autonomous colleges

What are the challenges faced by colleges after getting autonomous status?

UGC encourages the autonomy of colleges. However, there are some universities that do not want to give up their control over colleges and pose various challenges before colleges such as-

1) Restriction on the autonomy to change the syllabus-Some universities impose caps on syllabus changes.They allow only a fraction, that is 25% to 35%, of the syllabus which can be altered. This constraint prevents colleges from exercising their autonomy in curriculum development and academic innovation.

2) Delay in recognizing autonomy– Universities do not recognize autonomy of colleges in a timely manner. Such delays hamper the efficiency of colleges’ operation and undermine the spirit of autonomy.

3) Undermining autonomy of colleges-UGC gives complete autonomy to colleges. However, universities do not want to give complete autonomy to colleges in critical areas such as syllabus design, the introduction of new courses, and the evolution of methods for assessing student performance.

4) Imposition of Arbitrary Fees-University may charge arbitrary fees for affiliation purposes of colleges. This undermines the autonomy of colleges and violates principles of transparency and fairness.

What should be the way forward?

1) The State Councils for Higher Education should ensure effective implementation of UGC regulations on autonomy.

2) Universities should streamline decision-making processes between colleges and universities. This would ensure that autonomy translates into meaningful empowerment for colleges.

3) Universities should collaborate with autonomous colleges and allow them the freedom to innovate and excel so that they can uphold academic standards.

4) Universities should create a conducive environment so that colleges can take full advantage of autonomy granted to them. This will help colleges drive innovation, excellence, and inclusivity in higher education.

Question for practice

Enlist the issues faced by colleges after getting autonomous status. What steps can be taken to address this issue?