Institutional autonomy linked to ranking

Good quality institutions would be enabled to have greater administrative and academic autonomy, Jaitley said

HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar

The Centre plans to link the autonomy of higher education institutions to their performance, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday.

“Good quality institutions would be enabled to have greater administrative and academic autonomy. Colleges will be identified based on accreditation and ranking and given autonomous status,” Mr. Jaitley said. “A revised framework will be put in place for outcome-based accreditation and credit-based programmes.”

UGC reform

Mr. Jaitley also said there will be reforms in the University Grants Commission.

Later, Minister for Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar elaborated on the plans. “Good institutes will get more autonomy, middle-level will have 50:50 and the not-so-good institutes will have more regulation,” he said.

Expert on education, S. Srinavasa Rao, who teaches at Jawaharlal Nehru University cautions about the desire to scale, reward and punish institutions, saying many government schools had shut down in Rajasthan and other States in a desire to support model institutions.