KOZHIKODE: Autonomous colleges facing flak for functioning as a ‘law unto themselves’ may find the going tough if the government accepts the recommendations of a committee constituted by the Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) to identify the problems related to such institutions.
The committee, which submitted its report to KSHEC on Wednesday, has recommended a ‘comprehensive amendment’ to the legislation which paved the way for the functioning of autonomous colleges in the state. The amendment to the University Laws (Third Amendment) Act, 2014, would ‘unequivocally’ confer regulatory powers to the universities over autonomous colleges. The committee’s report, which has been ratified by the KSHEC’s governing body, will soon be submitted to the government. The committee noted that autonomous colleges have brought ‘no qualitative change’ to the state’s higher education sector. The legislation governing autonomous colleges has “failed to ensure equity, transparency and social justice in these institutions”, it noted.
Universities to have upper hand
The board of studies of autonomous colleges can make up to 30 per cent changes in the syllabus, subject to the approval of the university concerned. The autonomous colleges have to follow the university regulations on the syllabus revision, the committee recommended.
Other recommendations include: separate board of studies for all subjects, compulsorily adhering to university laws to start new programmes. The university should have the power to fix the fee for the course, the committee recommended. Autonomous colleges should ensure that teachers of self-financing programmes have qualifications prescribed by UGC. The recognition and approval of these teachers would be the responsibility of the universities concerned.
More role for students & teachers
Ensuring representation of the college union chairman and secretary in the governing council and academic council respectively of autonomous colleges, electing teachers’ representatives from among permanent teachers to the apex bodies of such colleges and the inclusion of the local body representative in the governing council are among the major recommendations of the committee. The committee has recommended setting up of a grievance redressal cell to look into students’ grievances on teaching, learning, the conduct of examinations and declaration of results. The cell would have representatives of students, teachers and parents, in addition to the principal.
Other reports ratified
The governing body of KSHEC also approved the guidelines for setting up an Open University in the state based on the recommendations of the Ram G Takwale Committee report. Kerala State Higher Education Council also approved a report submitted by a committee that laid down norms and guidelines relating to an award of equivalency certificates or recognition of academic programmes and degrees of other universities.