The Empowered Expert Committee (EEC) under the University Grants Commission (UGC) has recommended Andhra University's name for the 'Institution of Eminence' tag to the central government in Delhi. The university is just one out of 12 public and 12 private institutions that were named in the report by the committee, headed by former election commissioner N Gopalaswami.
According to reports, the IoE tag guarantees greater autonomy and a government grant of Rs.1,000 crore for the next five years. The other universities named, included IIT Madras, IIT Kharagpur, Delhi University, Anna University and University of Hyderabad among other institutes.
The announcement comes even as the university is all set to organise a mega alumni meet on December 10, to honour its founder, Prof. C.R. Reddy.
According to the institute's website, Andhra University was constituted in the year 1926 by the Madras Act of 1926. The 91-year-old institution was founded by Prof C.R. Reddy, who was the first Vice-Chancellor. Former President of India Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan succeeded Reddy in 1931. It received an 'A' grade from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in April 2002.
"The University presently is offering 313 courses in Arts, Commerce, Management, Science & Technology, Engineering, Law, Pharmacy and Education. The Colleges of Arts and Commerce is the biggest constituent college in the University with 26 Departments offering 42 courses including four Diploma Courses," the website states.
In July this year, the central government had announced the IoE tag for six institutions -- three each for the private and public sectors. The IoE tag had been granted to IIT-Delhi, IIT-Bombay and Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru from the public sector, and BITS Pilani, Manipal Academy of Higher Education and Jio University of the Reliance Foundation (yet to be operational) from the private sector.
Besides the government grant, the tag gives greater autonomy to the institutes in terms of recruiting foreign faculty and admitting foreign students.
IANS inputs