As per the draft University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines, affiliated colleges in India will become multidisciplinary autonomous institutions by 2035 in line with the National Education Policy of 2020. The draft emphasized the culture of establishment of multidisciplinary institutions across the world and recommended several measures to replace the existing structure of affiliated colleges, universities in India. The UGC has sought suggestions on the proposed guidelines by March 20.
All affiliated colleges should become degree-granting autonomous institutions by 2035, and by 2030 every district will have at least one large multidisciplinary higher education institution in or near it.
The Institutional Development Plan (IDP) for RU will reflect on the programmes, faculty research profile, industry collaboration, research projects, and other research-based activities that constitute the core of the university, the UGC guidelines mentioned.
Three types of multidisciplinary institutions have been mentioned in the draft UGC guidelines – research-intensive universities, teaching-intensive universities and degree-granting autonomous colleges. Multidisciplinary teaching-intensive universities (TUs) and research-intensive universities (RUs) would be larger universities with 3,000 or more students.
The draft UGC guidelines also talks about offering dual degree programs. Proposals to offer a four-year dual-major undergraduate program shall be submitted to the relevant regulatory body for accreditation by HEI. Following the selection process, the relevant regulatory body shall accredit the institutions to offer the integrated dual-major programmes, – It is mentioned.
The proposed guidelines also recommend formation of cluster of colleges. Single-stream institutions and multi-disciplinary institutions with poor enrolment, lack of employment-oriented innovative multidisciplinary courses and lack of financial resources to maintain and manage institutions by becoming members of the cluster and increasing the number of multidisciplinary programmes can improve enrolment by offering.
The paucity of such resources has also proved to be a deterrent in securing good grades in NAAC accreditation, read the UGC guidelines.
Under the collaborative system, students enrolled in HEI can take a first degree at the host institution and a second degree at a partnering institution leading to a dual degree. “As per the norms of regulatory bodies, the Central and or State Governments should manage and regulate the combined seat allotment for dual degree programmes. Eligibility for dual degree program shall be as per the eligibility criteria with reference to the qualifying examination, minimum marks, and any other factors prescribed for the program by the partner institutions,” it noted.
