Patna, Jan. 11: The state education department has drawn up a roadmap to develop at least 20 existing government and private colleges in socially and geographically disadvantaged districts as autonomous institutions in the next academic session.
The move is aimed at making higher education accessible to a large number of people.
The selected colleges would function under their existing universities for a year. Thereafter, a new university will be constituted to supervise and facilitate their smooth functioning.
Gradually, the autonomous colleges will work as mini universities and the most efficient ones will be developed as independent deemed universities.
State education department secretary S. Shiv Kumar said: “The thrust behind developing these institutions is to create autonomous colleges in socially, economically and geographically disadvantaged areas.”
The education department aims to develop the autonomous colleges to fill up the shortage of adequate number of universities in the state.
According to University Grants Commission estimates, the state needs at least 50 universities but it has only 12. The state has no autonomous college.
Sources said the autonomous colleges would focus on new skill-based vocational and professional courses. The faculty of the colleges would be selected through a transparent system, strictly on the basis of the need. No teachers from these colleges would be allowed to join political parties or contest elections, added sources.
The secretary added: “The autonomous colleges will plan the curricula of courses according to local and global needs. The institutions will hold regular sessions and have modern facilities such as digital library, Wi-Fi and Internet connectivity. All official work would be computerised. Faculty would be recruited according to norms framed by the University Grants Commission.”
Private societies, which would have representatives from all walks of the society and the state government, would manage the autonomous colleges.
The education department has prepared the roadmap acting on a massive demand among the masses for higher education. With more and more students enrolling for higher education in different colleges in and outside the state, the demand for autonomous colleges surged.
Several students hailed the decison of introducing the autonomous colleges. Rajeev Kumar, a Plus Two student, said: “The independent institutions will impart quality education.”
The state government has of late been inviting people from outside the state to invest in vocational, professional and technical education.
