The government has drawn up a welcome plan to grant more autonomy to central, state and private universities having a good record. The University Grants Commission (UGC) is giving 60 institutions special status. They can start new courses, offer competitive salaries and set up off-campus centres. They can also hire foreign faculty and take foreign students. Academic collaboration and distance education will be possible. The evil of red-tapism will be eliminated. That should raise higher education in India from the global bottom. Higher education in this country has so far been controlled by political patronage and the reservation system has caused a decline in academic standards. The proposed autonomy can change the creaking system and enable the best talent to be harnessed. Faculty and administration will also be vastly improved.
It will be even better if Universities can be allowed to select their own heads. Varsity stake holders instead of the government should make the decision in choosing them. Financial autonomy granted to Universities will be a considerable help. Of course, government funding is necessary to run higher education but that should not determine the educational inputs and research quality. Accreditation of Universities should be in the hands of independent agencies staffed with academics of known integrity. The present control of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) should not continue. That will make accreditation more credible. Indian universities should compete and collaborate among themselves. The emphasis should shift from tech-oriented education to research. The US example should be a guide.
