JOIN USThese could include renowned colleges like St Stephen’s College, Delhi and St Xaviers’ College, Mumbai.
The HRD ministry is working on its plan to give special status to such colleges through an amendment in the existing legislation. The move has been initiated by the ministry in order to provide academic freedom to those colleges which have achieved eminence in the field of education and research over the years, said a top official.
“We are thinking of giving special status to some of those colleges in the country like St Stephen’s College New Delhi and St Xaviers’ College in Mumbai which have achieved eminence. We are thinking of giving them powers to grant degrees,” he said.
The criteria for selection of such colleges for the purpose of giving them special status and power to grant degrees are yet to be finalised by the ministry. “There are colleges carrying out excellent educational and research work in the country for a long time. We need to recognise them,” the official said.
“The power has to be given through an act of Parliament. We are thinking as to how to do it. It requires a lot of deliberations and consultations. It will take some time to give our plan a final shape,” he said.
There had been suggestion in past to give power to colleges of excellence for granting their own degrees.