UGC grants autonomy for Universities in Telugu states

Hyderabad: Following the University Grants Commission (UGC) granting of autonomy to the central and state universities in the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh provides them to get funds to take up research, innovation and to start new courses.

According to the announcement made on Tuesday, the universities will remain within the ambit of UGC but will have the freedom to start new courses, off-campus centers, skill development courses, research parks and any other new academic programs.

They will also have the freedom to hire foreign faculty, enroll foreign students, give incentive based emoluments to the faculty, enter into academic collaborations and run open distance learning programmes.

Apart from the universities the college granted autonomy will be free to set their own syllabus, hold examinations, carry out the evaluation as well as declare results and only the degree will be awarded by the respective university to which they were affiliated.
Among the Central Universities, the University of Hyderabad and The English and Foreign Languages University have been granted autonomy with category I and II respectively. 

Similarly, among the State universities, the NALSAR University of Law has been accorded category I autonomous institution. Besides, the other state universities from Telangana figured in the list of UGC notification were: Osmania University, Hyderabad (category- I) and Kakatiya University, Warangal (category II). From Andhra Pradesh, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam (category I) and Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupathi (category I) were among the universities notified by the UGC.

Among the deemed to be universities under the category-I are Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha Tirupathi and Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM), Visakhapatnam, both from AP. Under category II institutes deemed to be universities, the autonomy has been granted to ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education and Research, Hyderabad.

Besides, among the autonomous colleges which have got autonomy include G. Narayanamma Institute of Technology & Science (For Women), Hyderabad from Telangana, Sri Vasavi Engineering College, Tadepalligudem and Bonam Venkata Chalamayya Engineering College, Odalarevu from Andhra Pradesh.