Page 56 - EW May 2025

Cover Story

INDIA’S BEST GOVERNMENT

AUTONOMOUS COLLEGES

Government autonomous colleges that have met the migration and other certificates.
stringent conditions set by UGC for award of autonomous Although their degrees are awarded
by the affiliating university, the
status serve an important national purpose by providing name of the college is permitted to
heavily subsidised undergrad education to youth from be inscribed on the degree certificate.
low-income households. Therefore, the best among them For employers, these are valuable
differentiators.
deserve to be celebrated Of the 1,222 colleges conferred
autonomous status by UGC, the
majority — 1,048 — are privately
promoted, and include high-profile
institutions such as St. Xavier’s
College, Mumbai and Kolkata, St.
Joseph’s and Mount Carmel, Ben-
galuru, Narsee Monjee and Mit-
hibai colleges, Mumbai and Loyola
College, Chennai, among others.
However, several low-profile (state)
government colleges have also met
the rigorous qualifying standards
set by UGC and have been conferred
autonomous status.
While there’s a quality difference
between private and government au-
tonomous colleges — evident in the
total scores awarded by this year’s
sample respondents to top-ranked
colleges in the two categories — the
latter serve an important national
GDCW’s Dr. K. Padmavathi (centre right): close industry connect purpose by providing heavily
subsidised undergrad education to
ndia’s 1,222 autonomous col- with minimum ‘A’ Grade or by NBA youth from low-income households.
leges are the crown jewels of (National Board of Accreditation of Therefore since 2021 when the broad
the national higher education the All India Council for Technical category of India’s best Arts, Science
Isystem. These premier higher Education) for at least three pro- and Commerce (ASC) colleges was
education institutions, which consti- grammes, or be awarded autonomy subdivided into autonomous and
tute a mere 2.6 percent of the coun- by a corresponding accreditation non-autonomous categories — for
try’s 47,000 colleges, have passed grade/score from a UGC empanelled apples with apples comparison —
stringent quality criteria mandated accreditation agency”. private and government autonomous
by the apex Delhi-based Univer- Autonomous status is a freedom colleges have been ranked separately.
sity Grants Commission (UGC) for charter for undergrad colleges. It Again, to rate and rank India’s
award of autonomous status. empowers them to review/recast Top 500 ASC colleges, the well-
According to UGC rules, to syllabuses; introduce new study known Bengaluru-based market
qualify for autonomous status, all programmes especially new ‘self- research company AZ Research
applicant colleges — government financing’ professional and skilling Partners Pvt. Ltd interviewed
and private — must be of more than programmes and conduct their own 2,100 knowledgeable sample respon-
ten years vintage and “accredited (rather than common university) dents comprising higher ed faculty,
by either NAAC (National Assess- exams and notify results. They are college students, and industry rep-
ment and Accreditation Council) also allowed to issue mark sheets, resentatives and persuaded them to

56 EDUCATIONWORLD MAY 2025