Autonomous institutes and colleges exercise independent control over their daily operations, syllabus, courses offered and admission procedure. They fall under the administrative control of Department of Higher Education (DHE), HRD.
However, there’s a thin line of difference between Autonomous Institutes and Autonomous Colleges.
Autonomous Colleges need to be affiliated to a certain university. These colleges can conduct their own admission procedure and exams. However, at the end of course completion, they cannot issue their own degree or diploma. The final degree or diploma is issued by the affiliated university.
Autonomous Institutes, like deemed-to-be universities, enjoy full autonomy or independence in deciding courses, syllabus, admissions and fees. However, they can grant diplomas and not degrees.
- Conduct their own admission procedure
- Can decide their own syllabus
- Conduct their own exams
- May or may not grant diploma or degree to students
| Deemed-to-be | Autonomous | Private |
| Can decide their own syllabus | More academic freedom to change courses and syllabus | Can decide their own syllabus |
|
Can grant diploma or degree to students
|
Degrees are mostly awarded by affiliated university (except for some Central / state funded institutes like IIMs and IITs) | Can grant diploma or degree to students, post approval from UGC |
| Full autonomy or independence in deciding courses, syllabus, admissions and fees | Independent control over their daily operations, syllabus, admission procedure | Needs to adhere to UGC rules and regulations for daily operations |
| Autonomy granted by Department of Higher Education (DHE), MHRD, on the advice of UGC | Fall under the administrative control of Department of Higher Education (DHE), MHRD | UGC approved institutes |
