14 Colleges of Excellence recognised by UGC in 2016
Colleges awarded CE status
During IX Plan period, UGC realised that there were a number of colleges in the country with high quality of teaching and research. These colleges achieved high standards in teaching and research by collaborating human as well as physical resources in innovative ways. Also, these colleges had high potential for academic excellence.
In order to identify such colleges in India, University Grants Commission (UGC) introduced a new scheme during X Plan – Colleges with Potential for Excellence (CPE). Under CPE scheme, the main aim was to help shortlisted colleges achieve excellence mainly in the area of teaching and initiate a research culture in such colleges. Colleges identified under CPE scheme were to be given additional funds by UGC to improve their infrastructure that could further help in achieving academic excellence. UGC decided to continue the scheme during XI and XII Plan periods as well. However, during XII Plan period UGC introduced another component to the scheme - Colleges of Excellence (CE).
Under CE component of the scheme, colleges which had shown outstanding achievement in areas such as teaching, research, and other related academic pursuits were identified. Similar to the CPE scheme, in CE scheme UGC realised the need to not only acknowledge such colleges but also nurture them by providing additional funds that could help them achieve even better results in future.
It may be noted that a college is awarded CPE/ CE status by UGC for a maximum of three phases and the tenure of one phase is five years. Further, a college is awarded CE status by UGC only during second and third phase of the scheme.
UGC Recognised Colleges of Excellence in 2016
As on March 31, 2016, there were a total of 296 colleges given the status of Colleges with Potential for Excellence and 14 colleges awarded the status of Colleges of Excellence, according UGC annual report 2015-16. Given below is the list of 14 Colleges of Excellence. Also given below are the tenures of CEs and universities that these CEs are affiliated to.
| University |
College |
Tenure |
| 2014-2019 |
||
| 2014-2019 |
||
| St Philomena’s College |
2015-2020 |
|
|
|
2014-2019 |
|
| 2014-2019 |
||
| 2015-2020 |
||
| 2014-2019 |
||
|
|
Padamshri Vikhe Patil College of Arts, Science & Commerce |
2015-2020
|
| Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya |
2015-2020 |
|
| 2014-2019 |
||
| 2014-2019 |
||
| 2014-2019 |
||
| 2014-2019 |
||
| 2014-2019 |
UGC Grants for Colleges Awarded CPE/ CE Status
During XII Plan period, all colleges awarded the status of Colleges with Potential for Excellence were to be given UGC grant of maximum Rs 150 lakhs. Also, colleges awarded Colleges of Excellence status had to be given maximum grant of Rs 200 lakhs.
The official website of UGC informs, “50% of the grants may be spent for the development of the best performing departments as these have evidently proved their potential for pursuit of excellence. The rest 50% may be spent on the general development of the other departments and common facilities of the college.”
It may be noted that the grant released by UGC to CPE colleges in 2015-16 was Rs 72.66 crore, as per the commission’s annual report 2015-16.
CPE/ CE Scheme Objectives
Colleges awarded the status of CPE or CE need to achieve some objectives as mentioned below:
• Enhance their academic as well as physical infrastructure to achieve excellence in the areas of teaching, research, and outreach programmes.
• Enhance the standard of teaching at undergraduate as well as postgraduate levels with the help of innovations and a flexible credit based modular system.
• Promote academic courses/ programmes that are relevant to the socio-economic needs of India as well as the region where the college is located.
• Promote skill-oriented courses.
• Promote networking with university departments, research centres and laboratories in India.
Monitoring CPE/ CE Scheme
In order to monitor the progress of the scheme, all colleges awarded with CPE/ CE status need to present a progress report annually to UGC. On the basis of the progress report if it is found that the college is not doing well and is not able to accomplish the objectives (mentioned above), UGC considers withdrawing its CPE/ CE status.
Further, colleges who have already availed CPE status in first phase of the scheme are considered for second phase only if they are accredited/ reaccredited with Grade ‘A’ by NAAC or any other nationally recognised accrediting agency. Also, “only such colleges which are accredited with ‘A’ Grade with more than 3.5 CGPA are eligible for consideration as College of Excellence (CE) under the scheme,” states the official website.
