The National Knowledge Commission (NKC) has proposed an undergraduate board to set the colleges free from the imperial rule and regulate all the administrative affairs for the smooth sailing of the colleges. With this proposal, the colleges in the country may soon be liberated from the universities. The undergraduate board will look into curriculum, exams, degrees, etc. for colleges. Once the undergraduate board comes into force, universities can lay emphasis on higher education and research work. The NKC has received spontaneous reaction from several states including Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan and the Union Territory of Puducherry. All these states and Union Territory have already started drafting a bill on the same. The proposed undergraduate board will function like the ICSE or CBSE board, and will execute all responsibilities academic and administrative that university fulfills for its colleges, including curriculum, exams, degrees and finance.
As per NKC Indian universities are no longer able to function efficiently due to immense centralization and politicization. The commission's document added, 'This system of affiliated colleges for undergraduate education, which may have been appropriate 50 years ago, is neither adequate nor appropriate at this point of time. Quality and excellence are compromised in the effort to meet the needs of one and all. The result often is that everything is reduced to the lowest common denominator and fails to meet special needs or the aspirations of bright students.'
