UGC
The University Grants Commission (UGC) on 8th November, 2021 extended the autonomous status of Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET), Lucknow for five years. The duration of autonomous status is from 2018 to 2023, which had been pending for the last two years. What does this extension of autonomous status mean for the college and its students? Well, academic autonomy for a college means that it has complete freedom to organise its academic affairs as it pleases, i.e. an autonomous college has complete sovereignty over its procedures and formalities, which are not at any time interfered by the university to which it is affiliated. Hence, the institute can develop its own curriculum and syllabus based on current needs, and can conduct their own examinations.
Autonomy hence provides greater flexibility towards academic development, endeavouring for the upliftment of academic standards and excellence. It has been found in surveys that autonomy brings about a qualitative difference between autonomous and non-autonomous institutes, helps in developing self-confidence, bringing clarity of vision and allowing evolution of student- oriented teaching techniques.
AKTU vice-chancellor and IET Director Prof. Vineet Kansal said that the institute had ensured imparting of quality technical education and had maintained high standards of student placement and research, and that it was on the basis of these merits that made it possible for the institute to retain its autonomous status. He also mentioned that 5 branches of the institute have gotten accreditation from National Board of Accreditation.
Here are some ways in how academic autonomy benefits the students, staff and the college itself :
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An autonomous institute can offer student- centric choices in courses and use modern educational technology to achieve higher standards and greater creativity. It can also restructure and redesign the offered courses to suit the local needs.
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Since autonomous institutes appoint their own teachers and staff, who hence are directly accountable, they are more likely to be engaging and responsive to the needs of students and thereby help them develop the necessary skills.
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An autonomous college is at liberty to prescribe its own rules for admission in consonance with the reservation policy of the state government.
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Also, since it’s the institute that conducts its own examinations, the exams are held in accordance to the syllabus covered by that point of time and not necessarily according to what is prescribed by the parent university. With this worry of having to complete a particular portion of the course in a particular period of time been done away with, it allows for a steady and desirable pace on part of the professors and greater understanding on part of the students. Moreover, because the syllabus is often kept as per the requirement of the course, additional or redundant topics are omitted and more emphasis is laid on important ones therefore any additional academic stress is kept at the bare minimum, this however might give one a slight disadvantage when preparing for exams like GATE or ESE.
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Additionally an autonomous college carries with it a prestigious image for the students and the teachers, as it implies past efforts for excellence in academic performance, capability of self-governance and enhancement in quality of education, which in turn helps give their students an edge during placement.
This extension of autonomy shall allow our college to retain its freedom in all matters pertaining to it and its functioning, most important of which shall be the freedom and flexibility for learning and evolving of necessary skills on part of the student and enhancement of academic standards on part of the institution.