Since 1986 when the Delhi-based University Grants Commission (UGC) introduced a ‘Scheme for Autonomous Colleges’, their number has grown to 979. Of them the majority — 786 — are privately promoted and managed

Way back in 1986, the National Policy on Education (1986-92) mooted the idea of autonomous colleges under which selected highly-reputed colleges affiliated with state government universities should be conferred academic and administrative autonomy. Subsequently, while accepting that the system of universities affiliating 500-700 colleges had become too “unwieldy”, the apex Delhi-based University Grants Commission (UGC) introduced a ‘Scheme for Autonomous Colleges’. Over the next 17 years, 140 colleges, which in the commission’s opinion had a good track record of higher education delivery and had been awarded top A grading by the National Assessment & Accreditation Council (NAAC), were conferred autonomous status.

Since then, the number of autonomous colleges has grown to 979 as on June 12, 2023 (2.1 percent of the 45,473 colleges countrywide). Of them, the majority — 786 — are privately promoted and managed. The award of autonomous status and associated privileges — freedom to draw up independent syllabi and curriculums; introduce new study programmes; devise independent performance evaluation systems; conduct examinations and notify results — has transformed private autonomous colleges into benchmark national role model institutions.

Therefore in 2020, to avoid apples and oranges type comparisons, the broad category of Arts, Science and Commerce (ASC) colleges in EWIHER was sub-divided into private autonomous, government autonomous and non-autonomous institutions.

Since this categorization, the league table of India’s best private autonomous colleges has been dominated by St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai (SXCM, estb.1869). This year is no different. The 2,100 knowledgeable sample respondents comprising higher education faculty, students and industry representatives interviewed by Bengaluru-based AZ Research Partners Pvt. Ltd have once again ranked SXCM India’s #1 private autonomous college with top scores under the parameters of faculty competence, curriculum and pedagogy, placements and leadership.

“I am not surprised that SXCM is ranked India’s #1 private autonomous college for the fifth consecutive year, reinforcing our position as the country’s leading undergrad education institution. We have rich experience of recruiting and developing excellent faculty to deliver high quality globally comparable undergrad and postgrad academic and co-curricular education. That’s why your respondents have awarded us top scores on the important parameters of faculty competence, curriculum and pedagogy, placements, and leadership. Last year, we were conferred the status of Empowered Autonomous College by Mumbai University,” says Dr. Rajendra Shinde, appointed the first non-Jesuit order principal of the vintage SXCM in 2015.

According to Shinde, autonomous status has enabled SXCM to contemporise curriculums, pedagogies and assessment systems. “Autonomy has enabled us to introduce new study programmes aligned with industry needs, innovative teaching, examination reforms, and provide research opportunities to students. Moreover, autonomy has proved pivotal in enabling us to align our curricula with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and effectively implement its directives. This includes the incorporation of interdisciplinary courses, skill-based learning modules, and experiential learning. We are committed to continuous improvement and plan to introduce new study programmes in emerging fields, establish research centres, sign partnerships with foreign universities and integrate skill development programmes into the curriculum to enhance students’ employability and entrepreneurship skills,” promises Shinde. Currently, SXCM has 3,628 undergraduate and 585 postgrad students instructed by 121 faculty.

This year’s Top 3 table is unchanged. SXCM is followed by the also Jesuit-run St. Joseph’s College, Bengaluru at #2, and Mount Carmel College, Bengaluru jointly ranked #3 with Mithibai College, Mumbai. Further down the table too, there’s minor rearrangement of seating order. St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata and Narsee Monjee College of Commerce & Economics, Mumbai have retained their #4 rank even as Loyola College, Chennai has inched up to #4 (#5 in 2023-24). Two Mumbai colleges — KJ Somaiya College of Arts and Commerce and RA Podar College of Commerce & Economics — ranked #6 last year, have been promoted to the Top 5 table.

Prof. Krutika B. Desai, principal of Mithibai College, Mumbai (estb.1961), which has an enrolment of 5,000 students, is pleased that the college has retained its India Top 3 position in a “very competitive category”. “It’s very satisfying that Mithibai is consistently ranked among the country’s Top 3 private autonomous colleges with high scores on all six parameters of collegiate education excellence. I attribute this to the multi-disciplinary, balanced education we provide combining academics, co-curricular activities and life skills to enable all-round development of our students. After the college was awarded autonomous status in 2018, we have worked with speed to introduce new multi-disciplinary courses, update curriculums and fully integrate skills-based courses to boost students’ employability. We are the first college in Mumbai to introduce a B.Sc in psychology with a minor in biotechnology. Now we are going all out to implement NEP 2020 and plan to introduce more multi-disciplinary programmes,” says Prof. Desai.

Beyond the Top 5, St. Francis College for Women, Begumpet, Hyderabad has got a double promotion to #6 (#9 in 2023-24) even as Madras Christian College, Chennai has retained its #7 rank. Nagindas Khandwala College, Malad (W), Mumbai and KPB Hinduja College of Commerce, Mumbai have been promoted to #8 (#9) as has BK Birla College of Arts, Science & Commerce, Kalyan, Mumbai to #9 (#10). The Top 10 table is completed by Stella Maris College, Chennai at #10 (#8).

Dr. Uma Joseph, principal of St. Francis College for Women, Hyderabad (estb.1959) — one of the first colleges countrywide to receive autonomous status way back in 1988, and much before the top-ranked SXCM (2010) — expresses “gratitude and joy” about the steady ascent of this all-women college in the EW league table — from #12 in 2022-23 to #9 in 2023-24 and #6 this year.

“This is great recognition, and imposes a greater responsibility to do better next year. Being an alumna myself, this milestone holds special meaning for me. We were one of the first undergrad colleges granted autonomy in 1988 in the twin cities of Hyderabad-Secunderabad. The freedom to curate and design industry-relevant curriculums and value-added courses has enabled us to deliver a holistic educational experience to our students. Additionally, autonomy has enabled us to develop innovative pedagogies and evaluation systems and improve our campus placements record. This freedom of decision making and executing ideas has helped us emerge as the country’s most preferred college for women. We have plans to introduce the MBA program as well as several skill-based and employment-oriented PG diploma programs,” says Prof. Joseph, who credits the “vision of the Sisters of Charity” for keeping “the college on course in the past illustrious 65 years of its existence”. Currently, St. Francis College has 3,581 women students instructed by 183 faculty on its muster rolls.

Further down the 236-strong league table of India’s top-ranked private autonomous colleges, there’s been a major shake-up with several institutions rising in public esteem, and some ceding ground. Among the big gainers within the Top 50 are The New College, Chennai #29 (#77), Sunbeam College for Women, Bhagwanpur, Varanasi #30 (#45), Khalsa College, Amritsar #40 (#42) and KES Shroff College of Arts and Commerce, Mumbai #50 (#57).

It’s also pertinent to note that several private autonomous colleges modestly ranked in the national league table are big names in their host states with excellent public reputation. For instance, Sunbeam College for Women, Bhagwanpur, Varanasi, ranked #30 nationally is the #1 private autonomous college of Uttar Pradesh (pop.215 million). Likewise, The Bhopal School of Social Sciences, ranked India #66 is #1 in Madhya Pradesh (pop.86 million) and Kendrapara Autonomous College, ranked India #78 is #1 in Odisha (pop.46 million).