Autonomy for colleges and governance reforms – UGC NET Question

Statements A, B and D accurately capture autonomy and governance reforms for colleges. A is true because academic autonomy allows colleges to tailor curricula and evaluations within regulatory frameworks. B is correct since autonomy is intended to foster innovation suited to local and regional needs. D is also true as NEP 2020 explicitly proposes graded autonomy and the evolution of colleges into degree-granting institutions. Statement C is false because autonomous colleges remain subject to accreditation and regulatory oversight. Thus, A, B and D only form the correct combination.

Option A:
Option A is correct because it gathers all the true statements about the goals and policy direction of college autonomy and excludes C, which wrongly suggests complete regulatory exemption. It reflects both flexibility and accountability.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it lists only A and B and omits D, thereby ignoring the explicit policy push in NEP 2020 towards graded autonomy. Without D, the policy context is incomplete.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it combines B and D only and leaves out A, which explains how academic autonomy operates in practice through curriculum and evaluation design.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it treats all four statements as correct, thereby accepting C’s claim that autonomy removes accreditation and regulatory review. This contradicts the principle of autonomous yet accountable institutions.