Govt degree college gets autonomous tag

Bhadrachalam: The Government Degree College (GDC) in Bhadrachalam district achieved a significant milestone when the University Grants Commission granted the college autonomous status and an NAAC B grade. This makes it the first college in the Kothagudem district and the second in the former Khammam to obtain autonomy status.

Previously, SR & BGNR College, Khammam obtained autonomy. It is ranked in the top 20 state government colleges.

For the past 44 years, GDC, Bhadrachalam, which started out in 1980, has been instrumental in providing students in the local villages with higher education in Telugu and English. In 2006, the college started offering postgraduate (PG) courses.

Lieutenant Dr K John Milton, the principal of GDC, told The Hans India that autonomous status has been given for a five-year period, starting in the academic year 2024–2025 and ending in 2028–2029. In the coming days, efforts will be undertaken to get an A grade from the NAAC.

The administrative and academic learning processes have been digitalised, with online fee payments and certificate applications. “A total of 130 cutting-edge machines are spread across four computer labs,” he said.

“Students can access a vast array of e-journals through a digital library that is integrated with the National Digital Library of India (NDLI), which is created and maintained by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur,” he said.

Notably, up to 1092 students enrolled in degree programmes and more than 250 in postgraduate courses during the previous academic year. According to Lieutenant Milton, admissions are open for the current academic year, and up to 1,200 students are anticipated to enroll in degree programmes.

Dr V Kameshwar Rao, the coordinator of the college’s Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC), has advised that permission to form a Board of Studies, Academic Council, and Governing Body has been requested in writing to the registrar of Kakatiya University, to which the college is attached.

“The procedures to create new courses within the UGC-specified nomenclature to introduce courses guaranteeing employment and boost students’ skills will be taken as soon as the college receives approval from the university,” he mentioned.