MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(Dr. MAHENDRA NATH PANDEY)
(a) to (c): The University Grants Commission (UGC) has implemented the scheme of
Autonomous Colleges with a view to bring in quality reforms in higher education. The Scheme of
Autonomous Colleges offers academic and operative freedom to the Colleges. The autonomy so
awarded under the scheme enables a College to determine and prescribe its own courses of
study and syllabi and restructure and redesign the courses to suit local needs and to devise
innovative methods of teaching, examination and evaluation. The scheme of Autonomous
Colleges is open for all Colleges. Any number of Colleges under a University can apply for award
of autonomous status to UGC under this scheme. However, Colleges are granted autonomous
status only when they fulfill conditions as prescribed in the guidelines of the scheme of
Autonomous Colleges. However, these guidelines are being revised so as to provide more
autonomy to top ranking Higher Educational Institutions based on National Assessment and
Accreditation Council (NAAC) grading and National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)
ranking. These institutions will be offered certain privileges to enable them to achieve yet higher
standards. As on 15.03.2017 there are 595 Autonomous Colleges (affiliated to 103 Universities)
in 24 States /Union Territories in the country. Detailed information on State/UT-wise number of
Autonomous colleges is at annexure. The existing guidelines for the scheme provide for
monitoring mechanisms to ensure accountability and maintain standards of higher education of
the autonomous colleges.
(d) & (e): No separate ranking system is in place for Autonomous Colleges by UGC. However, the
Central Government has recently launched NIRF under which Educational Institutions are ranked
by an independent ranking agency on the basis of objective criteria. The first of such ranking was
completed and placed in the public domain on 4th April, 2016. Detailed information on institutions
participated in the ranking exercise alongwith their ranks is available at
https://www.nirfindia.org/Ranking .
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