Engineering Colleges get nod for 5-year Autonomy


Governor T N Chaturvedi has cleared the decks for engineering colleges in the state to be awarded autonomy from next year.


Like the traditional degree colleges, autonomous engineering colleges, which have permanent affiliation from the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), will be free to launch their own under-graduate and post-graduate courses. Autonomy will be given for a period of five years.

While autonomous engineering colleges can conduct their own exams, degree will be awarded by the university. "The idea of autonomy is to encourage good colleges to innovate and update the curriculum and syllabi as frequently as they want," explained VTU Vice Chancellor K Balaveera Reddy.


Autonomous colleges will have their own governing body and academic council, which will be the highest decision making bodies on administrative and academic matters.


The VTU, however, will have enough powers to cancel a course offered by the autonomous college if it is inconsistent with the courses offered by the university. In case of private engineering colleges, five members of the management will be on the governing body and the chairman of the college will head the body.


Allaying fears that autonomous colleges will enjoy freedom in admission and fee structure, the statutes approved by the chancellor, state they will be according to the rules framed by the state government. Autonomous engineering colleges will have their own graduation ceremonies and will not be eligible for ranks and medals instituted by the university. VTU will review autonomy twice once at the end of three years and second after five years.


Fourteen engineering colleges funded by the World Bank under the TEQUIP programme are eligible for autonomy, subject to the permanent affiliation granted by the university.

(TOI:16/12/2006)