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Cover Story

NMCCE’s Ajgaonkar: autonomous status empowerment KJSC’s Sanekar (right): connectivity & constructivism key

nition to a combination of factors, Economics -- which has zoomed to pabilities of the nation,” says Sanekar,
particularly “significantly upgrad- #6 (9). an alumna of KJSC who signed up as
ing the curriculum, introducing new On the other hand, Loyola, Chen- faculty in 1991, and was appointed pro
study programmes and improving nai at #5, Rajagiri College of So- tem principal of the college in 2019.
faculty skills through continuous fac- cial Sciences, Kochi #7, and Ma- Beyond the Top 10 table, private
ulty development programmes”. Ac- dras Christian College, Chennai autonomous colleges that have im-
cording to Ajgaonkar, the award of #8 have yielded rank this year. St. proved their ranking this year are
autonomous status has empowered Ann’s College for Women #9 H.R. College of Commerce and
NMCCE to introduce new honours nationally and #1 in Telangana, and Economics, Mumbai at #14 (19),
programmes in commerce, statistics B.K. Birla College of Arts, Sci- the previously unranked Sri GCSR
and Masters programmes in business ence and Commerce, and Nag- College, Rajam, Andhra Pradesh
analytics, and also introduce econom- indas Khandwala College, both debuting at #17, Mar Athanasius
ics and analytics as also short-dura- in Mumbai jointly ranked #10 have College Kothamangalam, Kerala
tion certificate programmes in a wide improved their rankings in 2022-23. #17 (21), Fergusson College, Pune
range of skilling subjects. Dr. Veena Sanekar, ‘in-charge’ #21 (37), Kristu Jayanti College,
“Following the award of autono- (pro tem) principal of the K.J. So- Bengaluru #23 (27), SIES College
mous status, we have been able to maiya College of Arts and Com- of Arts, Science & Commerce,
focus on applications-based experi- merce, Mumbai (KJSC, estb. 1960), Mumbai #26 (39) and Jyoti Nivas
ential learning which has enabled our believes the promotion of the institu- College, Bengaluru #28 (39).
students to assimilate higher order tion from #21 in 2019-20 to #19 last It’s also pertinent to note that while
thinking skills. We have also intro- year and #7 in 2022-23 is a “moment some colleges may be modestly ranked
duced soft skills training of over 100 to cherish” for KJSC. “Our steady im- nationally, they are highly ranked in
hours to improve students’ employ- provement in the EW rankings to the their states, most of which are larger
ability. Our autonomous status is to Top 10 in India and Top 3 in Maha- and more populous than Europe-
a great extent the cause of NMCCE’s rashtra over the past three years is an countries. For instance, Ewing
upward mobility in the EW rankings,” validation that the measures we have Christian College, Prayagraj (aka
says Ajgaonkar. taken for improving teaching-learn- Allahabad) ranked #34 nationally is
Following the Top 3, there is a ing standards during the pandemic the #1 private autonomous college
reshuffle in the seating order at the lockdown have been very effective. I of Uttar Pradesh (pop.215 million),
Top 10 table. While the all-women believe that connectivism and con- Khalsa College, Amritsar #46 in
Mount Carmel College, Benga- structivism is the key to our success. India is Punjab #1 and St. Xavier’s
luru has retained its last year’s #4 The high rank awarded to us by your College of Education, Patna #63
rank, it has to share this position with knowledgeable sample respondents is in India is Bihar #1. Mind you these
Mithibai College, Mumbai which special because in spite of the unprec- are not inferior institutions. These
has been given a huge promotion this edented adversities and challenges of and numerous others with modest
year to #4 (#7 in 2021-22). Ditto an- the pandemic, we have maintained national, but high state rankings have
other Mumbai-based college — R.A. academic continuity and have contrib- been conferred autonomous status af-
Poddar College of Commerce & uted to developing the intellectual ca- ter careful vetting by NAAC and UGC.

40 EDUCATIONWORLD APRIL 2022