Every so often we read that more and more educational institutes are vouching for an ‘autonomous’ status. Karan Teckchandani provides more clarity on this trend
WHAT IS AN AUTONOMOUS INSTITUTE?
An autonomous university is one which is not accountable to an external body in regards to its curriculum, finances or administration, but rather is an independent body which may or may not govern institutions affiliated to it. To gain autonomy, the college must have National Assessment and Accreditation Council or NAAC accreditation of at least grade B for arts and science colleges, and a National Board of Accreditation certification for at least three courses in the case of technical and management colleges in order to be granted an autonomous stature.
Apart from these requirements, the college has to fulfil certain criteria in terms of financial stability, its amenities and student-teacher ratio to be eligible for autonomy.
AUTONOMOUS VS NON AUTONOMOUS
• An autonomous institute is affiliated to a state university but does not follow its syllabus/curriculum while a non-autonomous institute follows the prescribed curriculum of a state university.
• Autonomous institutes have independence to revise their curriculum and follow an academic calendar which is more suitable to their curriculum. A non-autonomous institute has to function according to prescribed guidelines of its governing body.
• An autonomous institute can introduce new courses into its curriculum after consulting the Board of Studies and the University Grants Commission (UGC). A non-autonomous institute can only introduce a new course when it has been implemented in the parent university’s curriculum.
• An autonomous institute can neither apply nor receive any grant from the UGC or the state government, while non-autonomous institutes receive grants on a regular basis.
WHY AUTONOMY WORKS
* The flexibility given to autonomous colleges allows them to impart quality and need-based education while cutting out the courses which may not be important for their students.
* Some of the best professors prefer to lecture in such institutions simply because of the flexibility provided with regards to teaching and syllabi.
* Innovation is encouraged in these institutions. Usually, it is autonomous institutes that file for maximum number of patents due to a combination of growth encouraging environment, financial strength and high quality guidance.
* Students are generally free to take as many subjects and other electives of their choice, unlike non autonomous institutes where a certain number and kind of subjects are fixed for each degree course.
* Autonomous institutes are seen as the epitome of quality education by employers, and getting the name of one on your CV may just give you the extra edge that you need.
AUTONOMY ALSO HAS PITFALLS
* Constant revision of syllabus is not good for students and teachers since it messes with consistency.
* There is no system/body to monitor the promises of the institute made during autonomy application. Who will check how far over time have they justified the autonomy they enjoy?
* Poor quality autonomous institutes do exist and they bring down the reputation of others.
* Since there is no common curriculum, it becomes difficult for recruiters to judge the skill level of graduates from such institutes.
* These institutes cannot receive state grants, thus limiting their funding avenues for research and other requirements. This limits resources available to the students.
List of autonomous colleges in India
* IITs & NITs
* IIMs
* VJTI, Mumbai
* St. Xaviers College, Mumbai
* National Law Universities
* School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research
*All India Institute of Medical Sciences
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Admission criteria to depend on a university’s discretion. Some reputable ones such as IITs have the most daunting entrance exams followed by group discussions and interviews, while others such as IIPMs do not have entrance exams and rely on board exam scores and a personal interview. However, some common admission criteria in different subjects are:
Business: Institutes generally test the skills necessary to survive in a business environment such as time management, problem solving, communication and crisis management. Such schools generally give an aptitude test followed by a group discussion and personal interview.
Technical: Engineering and science institutes check the technical aptitude of the candidate through entrance tests and practical exams.
Arts and creative subjects: The creative potential of their candidates is checked through portfolios, videos, sample projects, etc.
RECOGNITION AND ACCREDITATION
The worth of an institute can be determined by the number of bodies that recognise it as an institution of higher learning. Look for these bodies’ accreditation when choosing an
autonomous institute:
University Grants Commission (UGC): The UGC looks after the functioning of universities and institutions of higher learning.
Universities applying for grants for research or infrastructural updates have to do so with the UGC, which, upon evaluation of the current state and need of the institution decides on the grant amount. The UGC also recognises universities, private institutions, autonomous universities, deemed universities and fake universities.
All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE): The AICTE was originally set up to survey the necessary facilities for technical education and to promote their development throughout the country. The AICTE was later vested with statutory authority for planning, formulation and maintenance of norms and standards, quality assurance through accreditation, funding, monitoring and evaluation, maintaining parity of certification and awards, and ensuring development and management of technical education in the country.
National Board of Accreditation (NBA): The NBA was established by the AICTE for periodic evaluations of technical institutions and programmes. It evaluates courses in engineering and technology, management, architecture, pharmacy and hospitality. More recently, the NBA has introduced a new process, parameters and criteria for accreditation. These are in line with international practices and oriented to assess the outcomes of the programme.
National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC): NAAC is an organisation that is responsible for grading and accrediting institutes of higher education in India. It has a standard set of criteria for each of its grades (A+, A, B, C, D) that institutes must fulfil to receive appropriate accreditation. A NAAC accreditation is weighed the most by institutes and companies when applying for postgraduate courses or a job.
RECRUITER’S VIEW
“While looking at candidates for a job, especially postgraduates, autonomy and accreditation of the institution are significant factors taken into account while evaluating the education section. The institutes that graduate the best candidates are often autonomous and have received the best grades of accreditation by the various bodies in India.”
-Job Xavier, Director, Rare Acumen HR and Management Solutions
STUDENT’S VIEW
“Attending an autonomous institution with flexible timings has allowed me to gain quality education and pursue extracurricular activities to explore and develop myself.”
-Shronit Ladhani, VJTI, President and CEO of AIESEC in Mumbai
PROFESSOR’S VIEW
“Autonomy allows for flexibility and innovation that teachers seldom have, to inculcate the knowledge in students in the most efficient manner while cutting out the unnecessary bits and making them ready for the real world.”
– Professor who chooses to remain anonymous
Volume 3 Issue 12
