A directive by the Kerala High Court has made it clear that academic programmes offered by autonomous colleges have to follow the pattern adopted by the varsities concerned.
The court made the ruling while disposing of a writ petition filed by the management of Sacred Heart College, Thevara. The college authorities had approached the court after the varsity decided to withhold the degree certificates of about 600 undergraduate students of the 2014-17 batch following detection of anomalies in evaluation norms.
The Hindu had reported on August 17 that the academic council of the varsity recommended that the changed regulations for evaluation adopted by the college could be ratified as a one-time measure considering the future of the students.
The college authorities fixed the ratio of external and internal assessment at 75:25 instead of the varsity’s prescribed norm of 80:20.
The court order said the Board of Studies of the autonomous college was to ensure that the proposal for the academic programme conformed substantially to the duration, number of credits, evaluation and grading system prescribed, if any, by the university.
Academic regulations
Quoting Section 110 of the Act, 2014 related to the academic regulations related to admission of students in an autonomous college, the court said the provision was a self-speaking one to indicate a predominant factor that the autonomous colleges had to substantially follow the pattern adopted by the university.
“Therefore the contention advanced by the petitioners with respect to the interference of the university having vested with no powers cannot be sustained under law,” it said.
The college management had pointed out that it enjoys sufficient leverage and liberty to conduct the autonomous institution under Ordinance, 2014, which was subsequently transformed into an Act. The petitioners claimed that the authority under the university laws to make academic regulations related to admission of students in an autonomous college lies with its academic council.
Evaluation scheme
In its reply, the varsity had stated that the evaluation scheme followed by the college was different from that of the university. While the varsity issued grade cards on a four-point scale, the college had issued mark list in the scheme with a grading on a 10-point sale.
“The autonomous colleges are bound to follow evaluation grading system prescribed by the university,” it said.
The management said the autonomous college had the independence and freedom to decide the manner and modality of running the institution, besides conducting exams and other related aspects. The varsity replied that the Board of Studies of an autonomous college should prepare curriculum for various academic programmes in tune with the duration, number of credits, evaluation and grading system prescribed by it.