Roadmap for sustenance of college in view of the Institutional Autonomy granted by UGC discussed

Baramulla: The first day of the National Conference was held at Government Degree College Baramulla on August 24. The conference aimed at discussing on devising the roadmap for the sustenance of the college in view of the Institutional Autonomy granted by University Grants Commission on May 26th, 2022.
Prof. (Dr) Yasmeen Ashai, Director Colleges, Higher Education Department, UT of J&K, said that there is a need to develop multi-disciplinary institutions and multi-disciplinary courses, so that there is learning autonomy among the students. She added that there should be an Institutional development plan, for achieving academic excellence where colleges can frame their curriculum themselves.
Professor Chandra Bhushan Sharma, Chairman of National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), in a keynote address stated the challenges that colleges face in view of the present complex scenario. He said that by 2040, all the deserving colleges shall be granted autonomy, forty percent of which is already done. He said that it’s important for colleges to run autonomously both in academics and institution so that students can choose their own combinations of subjects and academicians can framework their own curriculum.
“There are around 24 regulatory bodies which will no longer be able to make laws in the parliament and under New Education Policy (NEP), University Grants Commission will be made Higher Commission of India” he said.
He also said that there will no longer be a standard language which holds people from poor economic backgrounds from going to school.
Principal Govt Degree College Baramulla, in his welcome address, highlighted the achievements of the college and its limitations.
“We are on our path to achieve excellence. Yet, we need support from the administration to achieve our goals,” he said.
Prof. Khursheed Ahmad Khan, Principal SP College Srinagar, addressed that in academic autonomy there needs to exist a system inside the campus to coordinate with various agencies and the reformations inside labs, classes, libraries and other administrative blocks.
“We must issue responsibilities to various stakeholders of the institution and devise Institutional Development Policies which will tell us in subsequent years if we can sustain the autonomy” he said.
He also explained the academic freedom that autonomy will bring in terms of independent teaching-learning framework, designing curriculum, deciding admission processes and fee structure, deciding exam pattern, evaluation and judgment, awarding of degree and planning its own staff and practices in the institution.
Professor Isaaq discussed the challenges that the college possesses in view of NEP 2020 and autonomy. The biggest of them being accountability, time completion of courses, social relevance of the offered courses and sustenance of the achievement and taking it further.

KR Desk