It’s a sobering reminder to a nation being swayed by antiminority rhetoric that four of the Top 5 private autonomous colleges are institutions promoted by various orders of India’s minuscule Christian community In these troubled times when the damage inflicted upon the economy and society by the rampaging coronavirus aka Covid-19 is being compounded by the anti-minority majoritarianism of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological mentor organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), it’s a sobering reminder to the nation that four of the Top 5 in the EducationWorld India Private Autonomous Colleges Rankings 2020-21, are missionary institutions promoted by various orders of India’s minuscule (2.3 percent of the population) Christian community. Ditto two of the Top 5 in the league table of the Top 100 non-autonomous colleges ranked separately in the EducationWorld India Higher Education Rankings 2020-21. In these difficult times when the country is being divided by politicians and the economy debilitated by the coronavirus epidemic, it is apposite to appreciate the huge contribution that the minority Christian community and particularly its men and women of the cassock and habit, have made to undergraduate education in post-independence India. Contrary to popular belief, autonomous colleges and universities aren’t necessarily financially independent institutions. Autonomy is conferred upon them by the Delhi based University Grants Commission (UGC) in acknowledgement of their superior academic standards and better learning outcomes. Under its charter, UGC (estb.1956) monitors and regulates all colleges and universities in India (except higher education institutions directly established by Acts of Parliament (IISc, IITs, IIMs etc) and technical education institutes supervised and regulated by the Delhi-based AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education). Under ss.12 and 26 of the UGC Act, 1956, the commission is empowered to confer autonomy on selected undergrad colleges of over ten years of standing with A Grade NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council of India) certification, if they apply for autonomous status. However, award of autonomy to colleges of ten years-plus standing and NAAC A grade certification is not automatic. Additional inspection and certification of high academic and administrative standards by specially constituted UGC task forces is necessary. In short, the country’s 747 (December 2019) autonomous colleges (out of a total 39,931 countrywide) are officially acknowledged as a class apart and above the vast majority of the country’s undergrad colleges. In the circumstances, it’s unsurprising that Dr. Rajendra Shinde, principal of St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai (SXM, estb.1869), is delighted this 151-year-old college is ranked national #1 in the inaugural EducationWorld India Private Autonomous Colleges league table with top scores under four — faculty competence, faculty welfare and development, curriculum and pedagogy and leadership — of the five parameters of education excellence by which colleges have been evaluated this year. SXM provides high-quality arts, science and commerce degree and some postgrad progammes and has introduced its own self-designed Bachelor of management studies (BMS) and Bachelor of mass media, B.Sc (IT) and Masters in ancient Indian culture and archaeology among other innovative study programmes. “I am very…
