Autonomous colleges may be permitted to award degrees

The Ministry of Human Resource Development is looking at amending the University Grants Commission Act to allow autonomous colleges to award degrees. In this regard, the Ministry and UGC held a meeting with select autonomous colleges and State Government representatives here. Under the recently-approved Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abhiyan, autonomous colleges that want to become universities can be provided funding of up to Rs 55 crore. The total amount earmarked during the 12th Plan for this scheme is Rs 2,475 crore. Autonomous colleges affiliated with universities are often constrained by the limits prescribed in the university system and the Ministry is looking at reforming some of the regulations. There is a proposal to upgrade autonomous colleges with ‘A’ grade accreditation to the status of Deemed University or State University and give them degree-granting powers by amending the UGC Act. The Ministry has decided that at least 10 per cent of all eligible colleges in the country will be conferred autonomy by the end of the 12th Plan.