Srinagar: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has conferred the autonomous status to Government Degree College (GDC) Baramulla, a month after a UGC team inspected the institution.
Dr Surender Singh, Additional Secretary UGC has written to the Kashmir University (KU) Registrar that the Competent Authority has decided to grant the autonomous status to Government Degree College Baramulla.
“As per the decision of the Standing Committee constituted by the UGC in its meeting held on 12.05.2022, the Competent Authority has decided to grant autonomous status to Govt. Degree College Baramulla, affiliated to University of Kashmir for a period of 10 years from the session 2022-2023 to 2031-2032 as per provisions of Clause 3.13 and Clause 6.4 (i) of UGC Regulations dated 12.02.2018,” the letter to KU Registrar, dated 26 May 2022, reads.
The UGC has asked the University of Kashmir to issue necessary notification/order regarding the grant of autonomous status to the college as per UGC (Conferment of Autonomous Status Upon Colleges and Measures for Maintenance of Standards In Autonomous Colleges) Regulations, 2018 for autonomous colleges.
The college, if eligible, shall apply for autonomy grant as per the norms laid down in the Regulations, the UGC letter says, adding that the autonomous college is required to abide by all the provisions of the UGC Regulations for Autonomous Colleges.
“Non-compliance of the requirements and conditions in the said Regulations shall attract action as per Clause-14 of the UGC Regulations, 2018. The College shall also apply in the prescribed format to UGC for extension of Autonomous Status six months prior to the expiry of the Autonomous Cycle,” the letter reads.
Notably, a three-member UGC team last month conducted the inspection of the Baramulla Degree College and submited its recommendations to UGC for granting autonomous status to the college, one of the oldest and historical academic institutions in the Kashmir Valley.
The visiting team was headed by Prof Jaspal Singh Sandhu, Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar as its chairman while Principal Fergusson College Pune Dr Ravindrasinh G Pardeshi and under secretary UGC Vasudev Talreja were the members of the team.
The inspection team was accompanied by Director Colleges J&K Prof Yasmeen Ashai and Dean Academic Affairs (DAA) Cluster University Srinagar Prof Mushtaq Ahmad Lone who was nominated by the Higher Education Department (HED) to accompany the team.
Notably, Prof Lone was Principal GDC Baramulla before his appointment as DAA Cluster University Srinagar a few months ago. The process for conferment of autonomous status to GDC Baramulla started during tenure of Prof. Lone while the inspection was held when Prof Fahmeeda Bano was the holding additional charge of principal of the college.
The UGC inspection team visited the whole college campus to inspect the facilities available there. They also held an interaction with the teaching and non teaching staff of the college, apart from innteracting with its students and alumni to seek their feedback.
Meanwhile, principal secretary Higher Education Department (HED) Rohit Kansal complimented the college and said the conferment of autonomous status to GDC Baramulla was a big achievement and moment of pride for whole J&K particularly the department and the staff of the college.
“I Wish more colleges in J&K get autonomous status. I will do my best to help GDC Baramulla,” Rohit Kansal told Greater Kashmir.
GDC Boys Baramulla is one of the oldest colleges in J&K which was founded by the Catholic Missionaries at Baramulla, by Father Ignatius Brower and Rev. Father Simmons in 1905 as an English medium school.