Page 38 - EW May 2025

Cover Story

INDIA’S TOP PRIVATE

AUTONOMOUS ASC COLLEGES

demic councils, board of studies and
finance committees, and have “com-
plete administrative autonomy and
the privilege of appointing their own
administrative staff and teaching fac-
ulty including principal”. These are
important freedoms and set graduates
a cut above graduates of non-autono-
mous colleges.
However, it is noteworthy that the
UGC does not always exercise its pow-
er to confer autonomous status ratio-
nally. For instance, while St. Xavier’s
College, Mumbai was awarded au-
tonomy in 2010, the top-ranked St.
Stephen’s College, Delhi and several
other Delhi colleges which have the
required NAAC rating have not been
conferred autonomy, and remain tied
SXM’s Dr. Rajendra Shinde (centre left): wings to soar to the apron strings of Delhi Univer-
sity. It’s also noteworthy that in this
Private colleges awarded autonomous status by UGC have year’s EW India Higher Education
a large number of academic and administrative freedoms Rankings 2025-26, the total score
awarded to the private non-auton-
denied to non-autonomous colleges which are tied to the omous St. Stephen’s is comfortably
apron strings of their affiliating university. Consequently higher than to the private autonomous
their graduates tend to be a cut above St. Xavier’s, Mumbai.
Given these complexities and con-
tradictions within the country’s high-
ithin India’s complex ion have an excellent track record of er ed system, it’s not surprising that
higher education sys- higher education delivery. According- the National Education Policy (NEP)
tem, school-leavers ly, only 1,222 colleges from a universe 2020 has recommended dismantling
Waspiring for under- of 47,000 countrywide have been con- the existing higher education system
graduate Arts, Science and Com- ferred autonomy by UGC. which requires all colleges to be af-
merce (ASC) education have a choice Unlike non-autonomous colleges filiated with a presiding university.
between private autonomous, govern- which are tied to the apron strings It recommends evolution of colleges
ment autonomous and government/ of their affiliating universities, au- into autonomous multi-disciplinary
private non-autonomous colleges. tonomous colleges have the freedom degrees-awarding universities in their
The apex University Grants Com- to design their own syllabuses and own right.
mission (estb.1956), which regulates curriculums, introduce new study Meanwhile as this recommended
and coordinates higher education programmes, conduct examinations evolution in a “phased manner” mate-
countrywide, has discretionary power and prescribe rules for admission rializes, to enable school-leaving stu-
to confer academic and administrative in consonance with the reservation dents to choose between private au-
autonomy on higher education insti- policy (for scheduled castes & tribes tonomous, government autonomous
tutions (HEIs) awarded top A grad- and OBCs) of the state government/ and non-autonomous undergrad
ing by the National Assessment & Ac- national policy. Moreover, they can colleges, they are ranked separately
creditation Council of India (NAAC), set tuition fees independently. They in our institutional ranking league
and which in the commission’s opin- can also constitute their own aca- tables.

38 EDUCATIONWORLD MAY 2025