Scottish Church College applies for autonomy

Kolkata: Scottish Church College on Monday applied to the University Grants Commission (UGC) for autonomous status.Madhumanjari Mandal, the principal of the college, said, "We have been recommended by NAAC to apply for autonomy. So, before the five-year tenure was over, we have to submit an appeal that we did." The college has also sent a letter to the University of Calcutta requesting a no-objection certificate (NOC).National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in 2022 recommended the college apply for autonomy and stated that the college must apply to the UGC one year before the end of the five-year tenure. The five-year tenure will be completed in June next year. Following the norms, the college submitted its application on Monday. "We have submitted the application along with all the necessary documents," Mandal said.The college plans to introduce several new major courses, such as sociology, psychology and statistics, along with other new-age courses, after receiving autonomous status. Emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and data science are also under consideration for expansion.The 196-year-old institution plans to redesign its course curriculum and introduce new-age programmes that will help students gain knowledge while preparing them for the job market only after receiving autonomous status.The college's second campus at the Ogilvie campus, near the main campus, is also nearing completion. The new building is almost ready, and departments such as commerce and BBA are expected to shift there. Other new courses in the pipeline will also operate from the second campus.The 114-year-old Loreto College has already submitted its application to the UGC for autonomous status and has received an NOC from the University of Calcutta. The college is now awaiting final approval from the UGC. Meanwhile, Behala College received autonomous status last year and has introduced subjects like BSc programmes in cyber security, multimedia, design and web development, and BCA, for which admissions are currently underway. The college authorities said they are satisfied with students' response to the newly introduced subjects, as the redesigned curriculum has attracted students, which could only be possible after receiving autonomous status.