Systemic changes are indispensable in making our universities stand at par with its global counterparts, however with "status-quo" adjunct teaching community of Delhi University (DU), it seems to be a distant reality. While, the University Grants Commission (UGC) is pushing forth its scheme of autonomous colleges the teaching community of Delhi University (DU) stands largely in its opposition.
It is out of apprehension that autonomy will lead to 'exorbitant' fee hike and eventually bring in privatisation, making higher education unaffordable for a large section. However, the champions of protest are seemingly more politically motivated rather than being rationale in their approach. Majority of teachers are part of this 'bandwagon' fearing the change in status-quo once the autonomy comes.
Among the status-quo that DU teaching community allegedly enjoys are habit of not taking classes on regular basis, transferring the burden on ad-hoc teachers, accustomed to traditional and outdated method of teaching-learning, practically no accountability, full job security at any cost, no result oriented analysis of their performance etc.
Even the right wing teachers body NDTF, which is generally considered to be serving the interest of BJP government, dare not to go against the majoritarian view. Further, these apprehensions are fuelled by various factions of teaching community who wield considerable authority in teacher's appointment in the university and colleges under present system. But with the colleges going autonomous the process of appointment would completely be in hands of colleges which may not succumb under any political pressure or lobbying.
The Autonomous colleges would also fix the fees of courses at their own level and constitute their own finance committee. Dr. S.K. Garg , principal ,Deen Dayal Upadhyay College , DU said that there are many subjects that are less sought out and for which the number of teachers are more than the number of students. He said that such courses wh
ich are similarly running in different colleges should be made to run at one place while new skill courses having demand among students can be introduced in its place.
With Central government putting weight behind its Skill India initiative, one among the objectives of the autonomous colleges is that such colleges will have the freedom to make its courses skill oriented and in consonance with the job requirements. They would also be determining and prescribing their own courses of study and syllabi, and restructure and redesign the courses to suit the local needs. However, this autonomous scheme is not without any takers, particularly the Principals of some of the best rated colleges of DU who take pride in asserting their individual identity are more than keen to adopt it.
Also, UGC has assured the Principals in its Orientation programme on the scheme of Autonomous Colleges that there would be no curtailment of grant and the colleges would continue getting the same from the financial regulator. However, the UGC expects the autonomous college to start new courses which are skill oriented but mentions providing financial assistance for up-gradation of syllabus on regular basis making it skill oriented with quantifiable outcomes.
Another senior DU teacher, Amrit Kaur Basra, associate professor, History at Delhi College of Arts & Commerce (DCAC) said that very large section of middle class is ready to send their wards abroad for studies as they fail to find a suitable alternative here. She said that our universities have become a bit 'stagnant' since last many decades but introducing new skill oriented and research & innovation based courses will certainly increase our productivity. "This will also help in containing the brain drain that is going on. As students in search for advance courses often migrate to foreign universities," she said.