Page 57 - EW May 2025

rate sufficiently well-known colleges
on six parameters of tertiary educa-
tion excellence, viz, competence of
faculty, faculty welfare and develop-
ment, curriculum and pedagogy,
industry placement record, infra-
structure and quality of leadership/
governance.
In the 2025-26 league table of
India’s best government autonomous
colleges, Government Degree
College for Women, Begumpet
(GDCW), Hyderabad (estb.1971)
has again been voted India #1 fol-
lowed by Presidency College,
Chennai at #2 (#3 in 2024-25)
and Maharaja’s College, Kochi,
Ernakulam at #3 (#2). This year’s
sample respondents have awarded
GDCW a total score of 525 (cf. 602 Dr. Abdul Rahiman (centre right): industry-aligned curriculum
awarded to the private autonomous
St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai) with Knowledge Systems into their cur- status by UGC is a substantial num-
top scores for curriculum and peda- riculums. Our close connection with ber of all-women’s colleges ranked
gogy, faculty welfare and develop- industry ensures that our students among the Top 10. These colleges
ment, and leadership. are readily placed in top companies,” have not only passed the UGC test for
“I am very pleased to learn that says Dr. K. Padmavathi, principal autonomy, but are also conferred top
GDCW is ranked India’s #1 govern- of GDCW since 2021, who modestly table rank by EW’s 2,100 informed
ment autonomous college for the attributes the college’s highest score sample respondents. This augurs
second consecutive year. This is the under the leadership/governance well for women’s emancipation and
result of the effort and hard work of quality parameter to the “entire improvement of the country’s female
our faculty and students. In particu- GDCW team”. labour force participation rate, a
lar, I am pleased about our top score An alumna of Osmania University metric under which India is low-
for curriculum and pedagogy, as this who has served as head of several ranked (41.1 percent, cf. China’s 60
has been our focus area since we government colleges statewide since and Vietnam’s 70 percent)
were conferred autonomous status 1995, Dr. Padmavathi also derives Ranked #6 for the past three
by UGC in 2012. Over the years, we great satisfaction that “GDCW has years, Maharani’s Science Col-
have redesigned/introduced several been able to empower women, most lege for Women, Mysuru is
degree programmes in partnership of whom are first-generation learn- promoted to #4 in 2025-26 as has
with industry to enhance graduate ers, both educationally and economi- Sri Meenakshi Government Arts
employability. For instance, for our cally through provision of employ- College for Women, Madurai to
B.Sc gaming degree programme, ment-driven education”. Currently, #5 (#6) and Government Holkar
we have a collaboration with the GDCW has 4,452 women students (Model Autonomous) Science
Bengaluru-based Lakshya Digital, and 108 faculty on its musters. College, Indore to #6 (#7). Smt.
India’s largest games art outsourcing A striking feature of the annual Sarladevi Satishchandra Agarw-
company. Under this partnership, EW league table of 84 government al Government First Grade Col-
Lakshya Digital representatives serve colleges conferred autonomous lege, Bellary has lost ground this
on the college’s Board of Studies year and is jointly ranked #7 (#8)
to design the curriculum, provide A striking feature of the EW with the Sarojini Naidu Govern-
student internships and evaluate league table of 84 government ment Girls PG College, Bhopal
coursework. In our commerce de- (#7). The Top 10 table is completed
partment, all students must com- autonomous colleges is a by Yuvaraja’s College, Mysuru
plete a Campus to Finance certificate substantial number of all- at #8 (#4), Government College,
course to enhance their employ- women’s colleges ranked Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh) at
ability. Moreover, all the college’s 27 #9 (#8) and Government VYT PG
departments have integrated Indian among the Top 10 Autonomous College, Durg at

MAY 2025 EDUCATIONWORLD 57