In an effort to do away with government's interference in higher educational institutions, a high-level committee has suggested that universities should be made self-regulatory bodies and recommended a new governing structure to help them preserve their autonomy. The committee, headed by former UGC chairman Yash Pal, has said professional bodies like AICTE, NCTE, MCI, BCI, PCI and others be divested of their academic functions, so as do away their interference on universities. 'Universities should be made self-regulatory bodies to be assisted by hassle-free and transparent regulatory processes. New governing structure needs to be evolved to enable the universities to preserve their autonomy in a transparent and accountable manner,' a member of the committee told reporters.
The committee's suggestions assume significance as higher education institutes have all along demanded greater autonomy to them and lesser interference from the government in their academic and administrative matters. The committee has submitted an interim report to the HRD Ministry in this regard. The report said universities should be made responsible for the academic content of the courses.
