Joshi-Bedekar College in Thane gets autonomous status

The institute now possesses the freedom to reconstruct and design the course or syllabus from time to time, making it viable to students within Thane city

Joshi-Bedekar College gets autonomous status, becoming the first such institution in Thane city. The college is quite popular in Thane and was started in 1969, it is managed by Vidya Prasarak Mandal that has another 12 institutes under its banner. The institute now possesses the freedom to reconstruct and design the course or syllabus from time to time, making it viable to students within Thane city.

Apart from the professional and vocational courses, the Joshi-Bedekar College can also include skill-oriented courses that will bring more employment. (Praful Gangurde/HT photo)

Apart from the professional and vocational courses, the college can also include skill-oriented courses that will bring more employment.

“With the autonomous status, we have the freedom to include modern education techniques and tools that make the education process more attractive and effective. Based on the demands in the job markets and the recent trends, we shall be able to include more courses every year,” said Dr Vijay Bedekar, trustee, Vidya Prasarak Mandal.

The institute has been receiving ’A’ grade accreditation for the last three cycles. More than 7,000 students study today in the Arts and Commerce College.

An autonomous college has the freedom to determine and prescribe its own courses of study and syllabus. It can redesign courses to suit the local needs and include more skill-oriented courses based on the job requirements in the market. Such colleges also have the privilege to evolve methods of assessment and conduct their own examinations and declare results.

The University Grants Commission (UGC), a statutory body under the government of India, is tasked with maintaining standards of teaching, examination and research in university education. As per UGC’s criteria, a college seeking autonomy must be accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), with at least an ‘A’ grade for at least three cycles of accreditation. If the NAAC score is equal to or above 3.51, the institute can be declared as an autonomous institute without an onsite visit by UGC’s expert committee.