In an attempt to restore its old academic excellence, management of the Presidency College, one of most prestigious institutions in the state, has proposed that the college should be upgraded to a university.

Principal of the college Sanjib Ghosh said that the governing body of the college today unanimously decided to recommend a university status to the college. He also said that unless university status is granted to the college, it will not be able to freely conduct its academic activities and will continue to deteriorate.

Time and again the college administration has pointed out that lack of freedom is the reason behind exodus of students to other institutions and their bad performance in the university exams.

The proposal hence would be made to the higher education department and the government, and if give their nod, the institution can be upgraded into a full-fledged university.

Earlier, there was a proposal by the Government College Teachers’ Association that all the 14 government colleges in the state should be turned into a university.

The demand for more academic and financial autonomy is not new for the over-190-year-old institution. In 2006, after the long pending demand from the college, the government had formed a high-level committee of its alumni to look into the aspects of granting autonomy to the university. In 2007, the state granted only a partial autonomy to the university. Since then discontent was brewing among the teaching and student community of the institution.

On the other hand, St Xavier’s College, Kolkata, was granted autonomy in 2006.