Top colleges may offer degrees, UGC sets up panel to study proposal

NEW DELHI: India’s top colleges may soon be able to grant degrees. University Grants Commission, the higher education regulator, has set up an expert panel to study a proposal that argues that such an initiative will help improve research output of colleges and universities they are affiliated to.

The committee headed by former education secretary RP Agarwal will look into the proposal that would require amendment of the University Grants Commission Act.

The move comes in the wake of discussions that the human resource development ministry and the UGC held in October with principals of autonomous colleges and representatives of state governments.

College and university administrators pointed out that some universities have more than 800 affiliated colleges, which require a lot of time for routine administrative tasks at the cost of research and innovation.

At the same time, many of the affiliated colleges are unable to undertake research despite potential to do so because the rules and regulations do not permit it.

The ministry was of the view that upgrading colleges to “autonomous” category could help rationalise the system. This could mean that colleges with top accreditation rating or ‘A’ NAAC accreditation could be given degree granting powers. About 46 of 441 colleges are ‘A’ grade. Such a move would require the UGC Act to be amended.

The UGC has detailed guidelines for autonomous colleges to ensure the proper management of academic, financial and general administrative affairs.

“If an autonomous college fails to maintain standards, the UGC and the affiliating university can direct the connected college to maintain standards or even consider revoking the autonomous status of that college,” said Minister of State for HRD Shashi Tharoor.