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Cover Story EW India Non-Autonomous Colleges Rankings 2022-23

Commerce, Mumbai at #7 (6),
and #1 in Maharashtra (#6), and
University College of Arts &
Social Science of Osmania Uni-
versity, Hyderabad at #10 (8) —
are ranked in the EW Top 10 league
able of private non-autonomous ASC
colleges.
Even beyond the Top 10 table,
colleges under close supervision
of Delhi University have improved
their 2022-23 rankings. They
include Kirori Mal College #11
(12), Kamala Nehru College #12
(15), Ramjas College #14 (18) and
Gargi College #15 (26).
Among the Top 20 ASC non-
autonomous colleges, an institution
which has risen high in the esteem of
EW sample respondents is the low- Patrician College’s Dr. Usha George (right): welcome autonomy prospects
profile Patrician College of Arts
& Science, Chennai, (PCASC, 3,300 students and 134 faculty on its in Punjab. The deep focus of these
estb.2002) elevated to #18 (30). muster rolls. academics on institutional develop-
Dr. Usha George, principal of Contrary to popular opinion, ment augurs well for Punjab whose
this college affiliated with Madras beyond Delhi and the metros there electorate has overwhelmingly swept
University, attributes PCASC’s big are well-reputed non-autonomous the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to power
promotion to the college’s “visionary ASC colleges which are likely to in the recently concluded legislative
and empathetic management, loyal, be awarded autonomy in the near assembly elections. AAP is perhaps
competent and committed faculty future. For instance, DAV College, the sole political party countrywide to
and supportive parents-alumni net- Amritsar which has been given a accord high importance to education
work”. “In addition, I believe that huge promotion from #30 in 2020- and human capital development.
our state-of-the-art infrastructure 21 to #17 this year which makes it the Similarly, there are non-au-
and dedicated outreach services #1 non-autonomous ASC college in tonomous ASC colleges across the
catering to large geographical areas Punjab (pop.28 million). However, country which although modestly
and communities have enhanced the a spate of e-mail messages and tele- ranked nationally are top-ranked in
reputation of PCASC in recent years. phone calls to S.K. Arora, principal their states. For instance, the low-
Under NEP 2020, PCASC is eligible of the college, failed to divert his profile Barrackpore Rastraguru
for autonomy and we welcome it. focused attention from academic and Surendranath College, Kolkata,
Academic autonomy will enable us administrative duties to share his nationally ranked #10 is West Ben-
to enrich and diversify our academic reaction and future plans with your gal’s #1 private ASC non-autonomous
programmes in partnership with editors. college, and likely to be conferred
premier institutions in India and Ditto Pargat Singh Garcha, autonomous status in the near future.
abroad,” says George, an alumna principal of Punjab’s G.H.G. Ditto Ahilya Mahila P.G. College,
of Madras University, who was Khalsa College, Ludhiana which Varanasi ranked #23 in India but
appointed principal of this ASC col- has also been awarded a big promo- #1 in Uttar Pradesh (pop.215 million)
lege in 2019. Currently, PCASC has tion to #28 (43) nationally and #3 and Sai International College,
Bhubaneswar #27 nationally and
#1 in Odisha (pop.43 million).
With the asphyxiating stranglehold of the educracy and With the asphyxiating strangle-
government-controlled affiliating universities over private hold of the educracy and govern-
ment-controlled affiliating universi-
ASC colleges across the country likely to be broken in the ties over private ASC colleges across
near future, a renaissance in liberal arts and sciences is the country likely to be broken in the
near future, a renaissance in liberal
imminent arts and sciences is imminent.

68 EDUCATIONWORLD APRIL 2022