Edu-leaders

According to D Purandeswari, Minister of State for Human Resource Development, the Government has constituted a committee to formulate a comprehensive policy on the issue of autonomy to higher education institutions.

The committee will be responsible to review the state of autonomy of Central Educational Institutions (CEIs) such as Central Universities, IITs and IIMs vis-à-vis bodies like the University Grants Commission and the Centre. It will also recommend mechanisms for norm-based funding of CEIs for development and maintenance with an aim to enhancing financial autonomy of the institutions.

Apart from this, it will also examine the diffusion of autonomy within the CEIs and to suggest measures by which institutional autonomy can percolate to governance structures within the university and to the teacher.

The other functions of the committee include: Reviewing and recommending measures on the present governance structures of the CEIs and providing for substantive and procedural autonomy to them vis-à-vis the UGC and other Central Regulatory Bodies and the Central Government; Recommending measures for fostering accountability of CEIs as public institutions; and Any other issue relevant to the promotion of autonomy of CEIs in a manner to achieve the objectives of the universities as stated in their respective statues and in the light of the recommendations of the Committee on Renovation and Rejuvenation of Higher Education (Yashpal Committee) and the National Knowledge Commission.

The committee held consultations with stakeholders such as directors of Indian Institutes of Management and Indian Institutes of Technology and vice chancellors of central universities before finalising its report and submitting it to the ministry. The ministry has constituted a task force to formulate the modalities for implementation of the recommendations of committee.