Autonomous colleges to only get academic autonomy: deputy director DPI
Giving mixed reactions, a section of educators welcomed the initiative of the state government of identifying eight colleges in the state for their upgradation as autonomous by the university grants commission (UGC), including two government colleges from Ludhiana, SCD Government College and Government College for Girls.
Giving mixed reactions, a section of educators welcomed the initiative of the state government of identifying eight colleges in the state for their upgradation as autonomous by the university grants commission (UGC), including two government colleges from Ludhiana, SCD Government College and Government College for Girls.
Shedding light on the advantages involved, the members of the association of united college teachers Punjab and Chandigarh, mentioned that the autonomous status will let the colleges revise its own syllabus and conduct examinations on its own which will lead to less financial expenditure. “The concept is laudable as apart from Punjab, many other states including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Kerala have identified a number of autonomous colleges and the concept has generated tremendous results, and these colleges, in future, will also be eligible to apply for the status of ‘deemed university’ which will let them receive grants worth crores, every year, under Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), but none of the objectives can be achieved with the lack of permanent faculty in these colleges,” said Tarun Ghai, spokesperson, AUCT.
He also mentioned that for these colleges to function ethically, it is mandatory for the state government to take responsibility for the institutions’ financial liabilities so that students do not suffer.
Criticising the step, Varun Goel, executive member of the central committee of the Punjab and Chandigarh college teachers’ union said, “The present government criticised the New Education Policy 2020 stating that the policy is a ground for privatisation and now the government itself is contradicting its stand. Earlier, before starting any course, the college was required to seek permission from the state, who was in charge of allotting seats and a number of posts for the same but now, the number of self-financed courses is likely to increase.”
However, Punjab higher education deputy director Ashwani Bhalla stated that autonomy is entirely academic and not financial. “The colleges with NAAC accreditation and a minimum score of B++ were selected in the state and it is pertinent to note that the government will not lose its control over financial interests. The colleges will only be able to revise their academic curriculum, and they will no longer be required to pay examination fees to the university, which will lead to a reduction in examination fees,” he added. Addressing the issue of lack of permanent faculty, he said that the department would soon fill 612 posts in 48 colleges across the state.