An estimated 894 Arts, Science and Commerce (ASC) undergraduate colleges have been conferred autonomous status by the University Grants Commission. They have full freedom to introduce new courses and draw up their own syllabuses and curriculums

Under s.3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, UGC has the discretionary power to confer academic and administrative autonomy on higher education institutions (HEIs) awarded top A grading by the National Assessment & Accreditation Council of India (NAAC), and which in the commission’s opinion have an excellent track record of higher education delivery. Accordingly an estimated 894 Arts, Science and Commerce (ASC) undergraduate colleges countrywide have been conferred autonomy by the commission.

However, it is noteworthy that this power is discretionary and not always exercised logically. For instance, while St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai has been awarded autonomy since 2010, St. Stephen’s College, Delhi and several other Delhi colleges which have the required NAAC rating have not been awarded autonomy, and remain tied to the apron strings of Delhi University.

It’s also noteworthy that in this year’s EW India Higher Education Rankings, the total score awarded to St. Stephen’s is comfortably higher than to St. Xavier’s. Moreover, an estimated 83 government colleges with even lesser scores have been awarded autonomy and are ranked separately inter se in EWIHER 2023-24 (see p. 66). But not St. Stephen’s. Like God, UGC also moves in mysterious ways.

Be that as it may, to facilitate school-leaving students to choose between private autonomous and non-autonomous private undergrad colleges, they are ranked separately in our institutional ranking league tables. It’s quite possible — indeed probable — that a large number of school-leavers would prefer to sign up with private autonomous rather than tightly-controlled non-autonomous colleges.

Just like the rankings of privately-promoted non-autonomous colleges are dominated by St. Stephen’s and several colleges affiliated with the relatively pampered Delhi University, the league table of private autonomous colleges is dominated by St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai (SXM) top-ranked for the past four years. Moreover, this league table is dominated by colleges promoted by Christian education missionaries, some of centuries vintage.

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Indeed the annual EWIHER are testimony to the huge contribution of liberal Christianity which is increasingly being demonised by fringe elements of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological mentor organisation of the ruling BJP at the Centre and in several states. They need to be educated that despite proselytization charges against Christian missionaries, Christians constitute barely 2 percent of the citizenry and that their contribution to Indian education is totally disproportionate.

Unsurprisingly, Dr. Rajendra Shinde, the unassuming and cheerful principal of SXM, is delighted to learn that this vintage college (estb.1869) which has 4,500 top-ranked school- leavers on its muster rolls, is ranked India’s #1 autonomous college for the fourth year consecutively. “I am very pleased that we are able to maintain our quality and fulfill the ever-rising expectations of society to keep our flag flying constantly at the top. All credit to our dedicated faculty and enthusiastic, brilliant students’ community,” says Shinde.

In particular, Shinde believes that its autonomous status has enabled SXM to rise and shine. “As an autonomous college, we have full freedom to introduce new courses whose syllabuses and curriculums are drawn up by our own internal Board of Studies. This freedom is not available to non-autonomous colleges which are obliged to follow the courses and syllabuses drawn up by their affiliating universities. Thus in recent years, we have introduced several path-breaking Masters programmes in landscape design, expressive art therapy, psychology and data analytics for which we are free to charge market-related fees, and any surpluses we may earn from these programmes can be used to improve our infrastructure and facilities. Award of autonomous status has been a great boon to SXM and has enabled us to build a reputation for modernisation and innovation of our study programmes. By introducing a flexible choice-based credits system, NEP 2020 will further enhance the learning experience, not only of SXM students but all students in higher education countrywide,” adds Shinde.

Conferment of autonomous status 18 years ago has also proved a great boon for the all-women Mount Carmel College, Bengaluru which has been ranked among the Top 5 nationwide for the past four years and has improved its ranking to #3 among autonomous colleges which makes it India’s #1 all-women ASC college.

“This promotion to the Top 3 private autonomous colleges in India is a wonderful gift in our Platinum Jubilee — 75th year. I acknowledge the strong foundation laid by my predecessors, the committed and dedicated staff and vibrant student community who keep the Carmel flag flying high,” says Dr. Sr. Arpana, an alumna of Bangalore and Mysore universities with over 20 years of teaching and admin experience in tertiary education, who has helmed this all-women’s college since 2014. Sr. Arpana is grateful for the grant of autonomous status to Mt. Carmel.

“We have the academic freedom to frame the syllabus and customise it as per the needs of industry. Therefore, we have transformed into a multidisciplinary institution offering over 83 undergrad, postgrad and Ph D programmes delivered by well-qualified and dedicated faculty. The outcome is that respected companies repeatedly come to our campus to recruit our graduates. I believe our curriculum is among the best in the country. We have innovated in terms of integrating the latest in subject domains and also ventured into introducing programs in emerging areas such as data science and analytics nearly a decade ago. We offer integrated skill-based courses across all programmes,” says Sr. Arpana.

The new NEP 2020 is likely to give Mt. Carmel which in its own low-profile manner has given a huge boost to the causes of gender egalitarianism and women’s empowerment — alumnae include bio-tech entrepreneur Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, former foreign secretary Nirupama Rao and Congress leader Margaret Alva — further momentum.

“Mt. Carmel has taken the lead in implementation of NEP 2020. We offer over 35 open electives which enable inter-disciplinary learning, and have made artificial intelligence and personal finance and investment management mandatory skilling courses for all undergrad programmes as we believe they are critical for multi-disciplinary education. Add to this our emphasis on research, also given high importance in NEP 2020. We already have 11 departments which are recognised as Research Centres. Looking ahead, we are determined to build on our rich legacy of 75 years and transform into a multi-disciplinary university as envisaged by NEP 2020, which offers affordable quality education in all streams. We are determined to play a large role in transforming India into a $30 trillion economy by 2047,” says Sr. Arpana.

Satisfaction about steady progress in the annual EWIHER league table of India’s most respected private autonomous Arts, Science and Commerce undergrad colleges is also evident in the response of Prof. V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, Vice Chancellor of the Somaiya Vidyavihar University whose K.J. Somaiya College of Arts & Commerce, Mumbai which was ranked #19 in 2021-22 has steadily risen to #7 last year and #6 in 2023-24.

“I am glad to learn that the college improved its ranking from #19 in 2021-22 to #6 this year. It’s an accurate assessment that the college has high scores under the parameters of competence of faculty & curriculum and pedagogy (including digital readiness). In addition, readiness to understand the systematic changes happening in the collegiate education system across the nation and addressing the social sector/industry requirements while working to fulfil them are major factors behind the rising reputation of the KJ Somaiya College of Arts & Commerce,” says Prof. Pillai, former chairman of NAAC, Vice Chairman of UGC and Vice Chancellor of the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam (Kerala), who has brought 40 years of admin and teaching experience into the Somaiya Vidyavihar University of which KJS College is a constituent school.

The college was given autonomous status by UGC in 2013, and for the past 10 years, autonomy has been very effectively utilised for bringing innovations in collegiate education at all levels. “Our Somaiya Vidyavihar University campus — the largest private academic campus in Mumbai — which offers students easy access to our schools of humanities, science and technology and several vocational programmes, is positioned to emerge as a model for the rest of the country to successfully implement NEP 2020,” says Pillai.

Further down the EWIHER 2023-24 league table of the 228-strong league able of the country’s most admired autonomous colleges, several institutions have recorded significant gains. Among the most notable are Kristu Jayanti College, Bengaluru promoted from #23 in 2022-23 to #11 this year; Women’s Christian College, Chennai to #12 (15 last year); Sophia College, Breach Candy, Mumbai to #14 (32); St. Joseph’s College, Kozhikode to #16 (19) and the S.S Jain Subodh PG College, Jaipur to #16 (24).

Moreover, it’s advisable for school-leavers/parents to bear in mind that autonomous colleges — which are already meritorious inasmuch as they have been conferred autonomy by UGC — which are modestly ranked nationally may well be heavyweights in their home states and host cities.

For instance, Jagannath Barooah College, Jorhat ranked #85 nationally is Assam’s #1 autonomous ASC college. Likewise, Ewing Christian College, Prayagraj ranked #31 nationally is #1 in Uttar Pradesh (pop. 215 million) and Khalsa College, Amritsar ranked India #42 is #1 in Punjab (pop. 40 million). Such anomalies abound.

Therefore school-leavers, especially those who prefer not to relocate beyond state boundaries in these fractious times should study state and city rankings carefully.