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Promote Autonomy with Accountability and Quality Audit in Colleges : P.S. Ram Mohan Rao

             hile    inaugurating   a    3-day
             National     Conference       on "Autonomy     to      Colleges       and Colleges        with        Potential      for Excellence"     organized     by       the UGC-South Eastern Regional   Office
at Hyderabad, Shri P.S. Ram   Mohan Rao,     Governor    of    Tamil    Nadu emphasized     the     urgency          of promoting    the   concept
of College autonomy with
accountability and quality
assurance   at   all    levels.
Autonomy       to          the
Colleges      makes     them
resourceful      and      self
dependent.                  The
independent     initiatives
and academic innovations
of individual    academics,
Departments                and
institutions   thrive    only
when there   is    academic
freedom. The governance
structures,       Acts    and
Statutes      of    affiliating
Universities need thorough overhauling   to   suit this
purpose.       Citing       the
Autonomous Colleges of

Tamil Nadu, he pointed out that the autonomy      coupled                   with self-evaluation    and     accreditation could   lead to much better academic and administrative   performance. He was referring to the assessment and accreditation of the largest number
of Colleges is Tamil Nadu and   the recent   analysis     of   over           100 accreditation reports in Tamil Nadu
by   NAAC.   He   commended       the
Autonomous Colleges for their use
of academic freedom in an innovative
manner to achieve better standards
in teaching, research,   consultancy,
extension          and                     social

acceptability.         Qualitative       and
quantitative     empowerments       are
highly     essential   to   empower the
Colleges   to meet the challenges of
the     fast- changing    scenario    and
emerging single global economy. He
highlighted the fact that only 0.5% of
the entire population of India get the
opportunity for higher education in

contrast to much higher percentages
in     many   other   developing      and
developed        countries.         NAAC
accreditation has a significant role in
bringing about quality improvement.
Accrediting   colleges   and    making
their   quality   profile   and      ratings
public develop a healthy competition
for academic performance among the
institutions.   While   discussing   the
role of teachers, he stressed the need
to   create   a   culture   of   interactive
teaching- learning    processes       in
classrooms   where the teacher acts
also as a facilitator. Talking   about
the      performance      appraisal      of
teachers, the Chancellor felt that the
student evaluation of the teacher is
relevant because the true appraisal
always comes from the subordinates
and not

from the superiors which normally leads
to   conformity. The inaugural function
was presided over by Prof. J.Anantha
Swamy,     Vice - Chancellor,      Osmania
University,   who pointed out   that the
affiliating   system in the present context has become rather inefficient to meet the changing demands of the higher     education        system.               Over 300
                    delegates   from   all over the
                    country                    including
                     Vice-Chancellors,          State
                     Education            Secretaries,
                     Deans         of             College
                     development             Council,
                      Experts      from       National
                      Organisations                 and
                      Principals of   affiliated and
                      autonomous            colleges
                      participated          in         the
                      deliberations.     Prof.     V.N.
                      Rajasekharan                 Pillai,
                      Vice-Chairman, UGC   in his
                      introductory                     and
                     welcome                     address
                     mentioned        that           the
                     objectives         of              the
                     conference   is   to   draw an
                     action   plan   for   the    UGC
for           promoting               autonomy,
quality evaluation and recognition of excellence in colleges gathering suggestions and inputs from academics in the country. Dr. S. Jelani, Deputy Secretary, SERO, UGC gave vote of thanks. A compilation by the UGC "Autonomous Colleges : Analysis and Innovations" was released on the occasion.

The experts and resource persons who participated in the deliberations included : Prof. V.S. Prasad, Director, NAAC; Dr. Latha Pillai, Advisor, NAAC; Fr.