Highlights

Autonomy enables institutions to quickly respond to community and national needs.


Autonomy for the educational institutions offers opportunity to innovate, design curricula, evolve methods of teaching and frame own rules for admission and conduct examinations, said Dr. S. Sathikh, the former vice chancellor of University of Madras at a seminar on Autonomy in Higher Education organised by the OMEIAT at The New College here recently.


Dr. Sathick said autonomy enables institutions to quickly respond to community and national needs, appraisal by the community and developing own benchmarks for quality and performance.


Dr. V. N. Rajasekaran Pillai, vice-chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) while inaugurating, said the autonomous colleges could go back to the affiliating if autonomy leads to any problem. He said out of 170 schemes of the UGC, 67 schemes are reserved for autonomous colleges. He said those of the autonomous colleges which are recognised for potential for excellence, will receive a grant of Rs. 1.70 crore from the UGC. He dispelled the notion that autonomy means that state governments would withdraw the grant-in-aid. It also offers a mid-term review of the autonomous status after two or more years.


Mr. G. J. Sudhakar, reader and the former head of the department of the famed Loyola College of Chennai, said he would not recommend autonomy for every college. ‘It is meant only for those colleges which have certain work ethos and leadership qualities in management.’ He presented an overview of the 25-year history of autonomy of Loyola College.


Dr. M. Anandakrishnan, vice chairman, Tamil Nadu Council for Higher Education, favoured autonomy with transparency and accountability. He said employers do not look at the degrees as evidence of education. They look at institutions where the students have studied and the teachers who have taught them. He said the Group of Institutions could set up common facilities such as laboratories, libraries, computer centres etc.


Others who presented their papers at the seminar included Prof. K. Ramamurthy Naidu, former secretary of AP Council of Education, Dr. G. J. Sudhagar of Loyola Colege, Dr. Joseph Barnabas of Madras Christian College. Dr. S. Peer Mohammad, President of Organisation of Muslim Educational Institutions and Association of Tamilnadu welcomed the gathering. Dr. A. M. Salahuddin general secretary of Omeiat, proposed a vote of thanks.