Provide autonomy to a cluster of colleges and encourage them to share resources in terms of mental preparation and infrastructure to reform the affiliation system.
Provide autonomy to a cluster of colleges and encourage them to share resources in terms of mental preparation and infrastructure to reform the affiliation system, suggested
University vice-chancellors from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, who were here for a meeting at the Mumbai University, on Thursday. The meeting was with the expert committee which has been asked to formulate an action plan on “reforms of affiliating system” by University Grants Commission (UGC).
“The academic autonomy must go hand in hand with financial autonomy,” said professor SP Thyagarajan, former vice chancellor of University of Madras and the chairman of the expert committee.
Having identified seven goals and issues under the XI Plan, the UGC is preparing an action plan and one of the priorities is to bring reforms in the affiliating system. It involves issues like feasibility and optimum size of current affiliating system, alternative models, autonomy and creating smaller universities from existing universities. As per UGC expert committee data, there are 17,000 colleges which are affiliated to about 250 universities in the country.
“There is a consensus among stakeholders on the need for reforms in the affiliating system and introduction of innovative methods without compromising on quality,” said Thyagarajan. VCs have stressed on the need for structural reforms which means that Acts of universities and its statutory bodies need to be modernised, he added. The report is expected to be submitted to UGC by end of November this year.
While the National Knowledge Commission has recommended setting up of central/state boards of undergraduate education, the vice chancellors were unanimous in pointing out that the boards cannot be academic regulatory structures but can only be examination conducting bodies.
“Since reforms like creation of smaller varsities from bigger ones could result in a financial crunch, states should make clear provision for higher education in their budgets,” said Thyagarajan.
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