MUMBAI: SVKM’s Pravin Gandhi College of Law, has become the first law college under Mumbai University to be granted autonomous status by the University Grants Commission (UGC). The college has been granted autonomy for a period of 10 years, effective from the current academic year till 2035-36. Under autonomy, the college plans to include law subjects along with liberal discipline in the first two years of the five-year integrated LLB programme (BA LLB).While around 130 colleges affiliated with the university currently enjoy autonomy, most are traditional arts, science and commerce colleges. Among professional courses, the university has autonomous colleges offering engineering, BEd, pharmacy and other programmes, but until now, no law college had been granted autonomy. The new status is expected to help the college offer legal education by giving it flexibility in designing and updating its curriculum.The college is currently awaiting notification from the Mumbai University. As per UGC Regulations, the parent university is to issue the notification within 30 days of granting of autonomous status to the college. The programme structure under autonomy will be rolled out after the college gets the notification. The college is, incidentally, also the only one from the law faculty in the city to be awarded an A+ grade by the NAAC in its first accreditation cycle.Principal Navashikha Duara said that the autonomy will give them an opportunity to reimagine legal education for the future and design contemporary curricula, introduce interdisciplinary and industry-relevant courses, adopt innovative pedagogies, strengthen research and implement assessment practices that are aligned with global academic standards.Duara added that the autonomy would enable the college to strengthen experiential learning, enhance industry engagement, and respond more effectively to the evolving needs of the legal profession. The evaluation and examination pattern will also undergo a change, with increased focus on evaluating students’ critical analysis and problem-solving skills essential for law graduates.The recognition has come at a time when many law colleges are struggling to get university’s temporary affiliation for the current academic year. At least 18 law colleges have moved court against the university’s decision to reduce their intake by 25-50% and to impose a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh for not having approved faculty on board.A principal from another law college said that there are a few colleges which are planning to get autonomy, but they are awaiting NAAC accreditation. Very few colleges in the city have been able to apply for NAAC accreditation, which is a prerequisite for seeking autonomy. The accreditation process is on hold for the past two years as institutions are awaiting the rollout of the revised guidelines.
