Presidency College is gunning for varsity status after a failed bid for full-fledged autonomy within the Calcutta University set-up.

“We received a letter from Presidency last month laying claim to the status of a university. We have written back asking on what grounds the college deserves an upgrade,” a senior official of the higher education department told Metro.

The department has sought a detailed report on the state of infrastructure, academic programmes and faculty strength at the city’s oldest government-run college.

Presidency, which is affiliated to Calcutta University, had asked for full autonomy but was granted only partial administrative and academic independence on the basis of the recommendations of a seven-member committee formed in 2006.

The college enjoys full academic autonomy for postgraduate courses but all undergraduate courses are still controlled by Calcutta University.

St Xavier’s and Ramakrishna Mission Narendrapur are the only city colleges that have been granted full autonomy so far.

An official of the scrutiny team said upgrading Presidency College to a university would entail amending the government’s higher education policy. “Before we even start contemplating the feasibility of meeting this demand, we must get a clear picture of how the institution is functioning.”

If Presidency’s application is approved, the government’s first task would be to table a draft legislation that allows a government college to be upgraded to a university.

Any college seeking university status is required to have adequate infrastructure to run undergraduate and postgraduate courses independently in conventional subjects as well as “emerging courses”.

Such an institution must also have faculty capable of balancing teaching with research.

The teachers’ council of Presidency College has convened a general body meeting on Tuesday to discuss how to present the institution’s case.

Principal Sanjib Ghosh said the college being directly under the control of the higher education department, the government would have the last word.

“I have written to the government. But it is up to the government to decide what status the college deserves,” he added.

A government official said the institution’s success or failure in implementing the recommendations of the seven-member committee that recommended partial autonomy would be taken into account while considering the demand for university status.

The government had set up the committee under pressure from students and academics, who felt that Presidency deserved full freedom to frame its courses, fix fees, follow its own examination system, and recruit teachers without being bound by the government’s selection norms.