Bhubaneswar, Aug. 5: Private degree colleges under the Utkal University have demanded permission to implement the new choice-based credit system guidelines from this academic year.

The varsity, which has decided to implement the system only for the autonomous colleges, has 350 degree colleges affiliated to it, of which about 100 are the private ones.

The authorities have decided not to implement the system in the private colleges this year, citing lack of adequate infrastructure. In a letter to the higher education department, the colleges have demanded the system in their institutions.

While the varsity has claimed that private colleges do not have the required infrastructure to implement the system, a few of them equipped with the required set-up have raised questions why they should be denied the permission to implement it.

In a letter to the higher education department, Sai International College of Commerce and Economics principal Sandip Ghosh said: "Colleges in most of the other states have already introduced the system in their academic curriculum, and therefore, it will be very difficult for students from Odisha to get admission in leading institutions of other states.Our college fulfils all the UGC guidelines to implement the system. We should be allowed to introduce it from this academic year."

While the department has left the decision to the university, authorities at the varsity said that though the UGC had made implementation of the system guidelines mandatory in all Plus Three colleges, most of the colleges do not have adequate infrastructure and staff members.

Considering this, the university has decided to implement it in the autonomous colleges from this year.The Banki Autonomous College has already implemented the system. It has to implement it this year, failing which the UGC would stop grants.

Earlier the UGC, expressing grave concern over quality education not being provided in universities across the country, had made it clear that those varsities failing to fulfil its mandate, including filling up of teacher vacancies and introducing the system, would not be provided with general development grant.