Autonomous status in higher education was introduced to improve academic quality, institutional flexibility, curriculum innovation and administrative efficiency. Under the autonomous system, colleges are granted freedom in curriculum design, examinations, evaluation, and academic administration while remaining affiliated with a parent university. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 further strengthened this model by encouraging academic flexibility, multidisciplinary education, internships, and skill-oriented learning. However, despite the intended benefits, several concerns have emerged regarding the implementation of autonomy in degree colleges. In some institutions, issues such as lenient evaluation practices, weak monitoring of attendance, declining seriousness in undergraduate education, lack of regular job notifications for UG graduates, examination malpractices and ineffective internship implementation have raised concerns about academic quality and employability. Faculty members are often increasingly focused on research scores, promotions, and personal academic growth, while student mentoring and classroom engagement receive comparatively less attention. Internships in many colleges have become procedural formalities without meaningful industry exposure or skill development. This paper critically examines the challenges associated with autonomy and internship-based reforms under NEP 2020 and highlights the need for accountability, transparent governance and effective monitoring mechanisms to preserve the quality and credibility of higher education in India.
Padmavathi et al. (Fri,) studied this question.