All the Post-Graduate (PG) Teaching Departments of Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) have now become autonomous from this academic session. This means that the departments will not have to depend on the University for each and every work. Informing about this new development to The Hitavada, RTMNU Vice-Chancellor Dr Subhash Chaudhari said, “Now the departments would be able to design their syllabus and moderate examinations, conduct their own examinations and also carry out valuation of the examinations. But this will only be academic autonomy.

 

The declaration of results would be looked after by the University only.” It may be noted that till now every University department had to depend on the University for every work and it was proving to be time consuming. Now, all 41 departments have received autonomy but for 3 colleges- Laxminarayan Institute of Technology (LIT), Bar Wankhede College of Education and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar College of Law. These three colleges are the conducted ones and University is not empowered to give them status of autonomy. But university is making all efforts to get good marks to LIT by National Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC) with latter’s visit scheduled in near future. Section 122 of Maharashtra Universities Act, 2016 states, ‘A university department or institution, affiliated college or recognised institution may apply to the university for grant of autonomous status.

 

The Management Council on the recommendation of the Academic Council may confer the autonomous status.’ This power lies with the university as far as its departments are concerned. To get the status of autonomy the rules framed by University Grants Commission are followed. Autonomous university department or institution or affiliated college or recognised institution shall function with the objectives of promoting academic freedom and scholarship on the part of teachers and students which are essential to the fostering and development of an intellectual climate conducive to the pursuit of scholarship and excellence. According to section 122 of Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016, the autonomous university department or institution or affiliated college or recognised institution may constitute its authorities or bodies and exercise the powers and perform the functions and carry out the administrative, academic and other activities of the university, as may be prescribed by the Statutes. The autonomous university department or institution or affiliated college or recognised institution may prescribe its own courses of study, evolve its own teaching methods and hold examinations and tests for students receiving instruction in it, and recommend the university for award of degrees, diplomas or certificates, after following the procedure as prescribed in the Statutes. The autonomous university department or institution or affiliated college or recognised institution shall have full academic and administrative autonomy subject to the provisions of this Act and Statutes and the guidelines issued by the University Grant Commission, from time to time about their autonomy status.

 

Will PGTDs be able to handle autonomy with poor manpower? Getting autonomy to all 41 Post Graduate Teaching Departments (PGTD) is a good news. But over the period of years, these departments are running sans regular teaching staff, as prescribed by University Grants Commission. There are a few departments where the staff is in excess with less number of students. But most departments are functioning with no regular and adequate staff. Functioning with autonomous status, departments have to prepare syllabus, they will have to prepare their format of examinations, the examinations are to be conducted by these departments on their own, plus they have to do the valuation too. In past some years the teachers retired or left the departments to join some other institutions, and those posts are not filled. According to the sources in University, the top officials of the university have planned to chalk out the solution.