Unitary univ tag for 50-yr colleges with 2.5k on rolls

State colleges that have completed 50 years, 3 NAAC accreditation cycles and have over 2,500 students on their rolls will soon be able to seek ‘unitary university’ tag. Also, colleges that have completed 2 cycles of autonomy and have a good record in implementing new courses and exam reforms may be eligible for ‘empowered autonomous’ college status and can award degrees jointly with their parent varsity. These are part of a report submitted by a government panel to transform higher education.

- Yogita Rao

Mumbai: Colleges in the state that have completed over 50 years, three accreditation cycles by NAAC and have more than 2,500 enrolled students, among other things, will soon be able to seek a ‘unitary university’ status. Alternatively, colleges that have completed two cycles of autonomy and have a proven track record in implementing new courses and examination reforms, will also be eligible to seek the status of ‘empowered autonomous’ colleges that can award degrees—otherwise a mandate of universities alone—jointly with their respective parent university. The government committee set up to look into some of these opportunities in the National Education Policy (NEP) for established colleges submitted its report to this effect recently.