LSR faculty opposes autonomy, writes to UGC chairperson

Teachers of Lady Shri Ram (LSR) College have written a letter to the University Grants Commission (UGC) saying they were not in favour of the college being granted autonomy as proposed by the commission.

The human resource development ministry had earlier said it was working on a proposal to grant autonomy to a select number of colleges in the country and media reports had cited St Stephen's College, LSR and Loyola College in Chennai could become autonomous.

"After a great deal of reading, reflection and research, we have concluded that academic autonomy is only a fig leaf for profiteering by market forces in the arena of higher education and a compromise with the principles of equity, inclusiveness and quality. Autonomy would deny many deserving but economically disadvantaged young women access to quality education," a letter from the faculty said.

The faculty has also signed a petition expressing their concerns.

"We express our downright opposition to the idea of LSR College becoming autonomous, academically or in any other way from the Delhi University. Our stance is a carefully-considered one, based on our study of autonomous institutions formed in the last 20 years, the UGC papers on autonomy and discussions with our colleagues. An educational institution is not co-terminous only with its administration but is inclusive of its teaching and non-teaching members, whose mandate and opinions cannot be overlooked. We wish to say that the issue has never been discussed with us in any official forum," the letter added.

In 1981, the government had to shelve a plan to offer autonomy to St Stephen's following opposition from the Delhi University Teachers' Association and the university administration. Sriram College of Commerce too had faced similar protests in 1976.