Government’s List of ‘Institutions of Eminence’ to get Maximum Autonomy
- University Grant Commission (UGC) to announce the list of 10 ‘Institutions of Eminence’ that will be granted maximum autonomy.
- The institutes will be free to regulate fee, courses, curriculum and even admit extra foreign students without government’s approval.
The government will soon release the list of 10 higher education institutes that will be considered the 'Institutions of Eminence'. According to the guidelines framed by the UGC, these institutes will be offered maximum autonomy to excel in the academia.
New regulations have been introduced by the UGC that will not only allow these Institutions of Eminence to admit extra foreign students but will also let them form collaborations with international universities and institutes.
UGC Regulations for Institutions of Eminence:
1. Fee Structure: The 10 institutes selected by the UGC under this category will have the power to modify regulate their fee structure without government approval.
2. Admission of Foreign Students: These institutes will also be allowed to admit additional foreign students up to 30% of the strength of Indian students. These foreign students will be admitted on merit basis.
3. International Collaborations: The institutions of eminence will also be allowed to form collaborations with foreign higher educational institutions ranked within top 500 by global rankings agencies.
4. Partnership with Countries in Negative List: However, the institutes will require the approval of the government in any of these foreign institutes within top 500 is in one of the countries listed as negative by the Ministry of Home Affairs or Ministry of External Affairs.
5. New Courses: The institutions of eminence will also have the autonomy to start new courses within a programme and offer degrees in newer fields.
6. Curriculum Advancement: The authority of changing course structure in terms of the years required to take a degree and the number of credit hours will also be granted to these institutes.
7. Online Courses: These institutes will also have the freedom to offer online courses, however, no more than 20% of the course can be offered online.
According to a UGC official, these institutes of eminence will be allowed to offer certificate courses entirely in online mode and without the 20% restriction on the course. The official also added that the list 10 institutions of eminence will comprise technical, art, management as well as central universities.
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The list will be composed on the basis of the institutes’ performance in the National Institution Ranking Framework (NIRF ). Only the institutes that ranked within top 50 will be considered for the list, informed the official.