Bhubaneswar: The govt and aided colleges having a valid grade from National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) will now be given priority for opening self-financing courses in public-private partnership (PPP) mode, according to a standard operating procedure (SOP) released in this regard by higher education department on Saturday, aiming at improving the academic ecosystem and expanding access to industry-relevant courses.Previously, only autonomous colleges and universities were allowed to open such courses.Under the new SOP, regular colleges, affiliated with public universities, will also be eligible to host the PPP-based self-financing courses, provided they have a valid NAAC grade, officials said.They added that this is the first time an SOP was issued for such courses in the state, which were earlier introduced in an unregulated manner across institutions.Colleges, which are not NAAC-accredited, may also be considered for opening such courses, but only after a detailed suitability assessment.As per the guidelines, a joint inspection by the regional director of education and the university concerned will evaluate infrastructure, faculty readiness and institutional capacity before granting approval.However, the cap on such courses remains unchanged. As per the chancellor’s 2022 directive, the student strength of self-financing courses will not exceed 20% of the total strength of regular courses in universities, while colleges can go up to 30%.
This is subject to revision by the govt for the 2026-27 academic session.Currently, the self-financing courses are offered either in direct mode or under PPP. In PPP mode, a memorandum of understanding is signed with a private organisation that runs the course on a 70:30 or 60:40 revenue-sharing basis with the host institution. The institution provides infrastructure, while the private partner manages the curriculum, faculty, examinations and other academic aspects.The SOP states that private agencies will be selected through a competitive request for proposal process, encouraging participation from both state-based and out-of-state educational organisations. The initial engagement period will be five years, with provisions for renewal, based on performance.Importantly, agencies must ensure uninterrupted education for enrolled students, even if their contract expires or is not renewed.
In such cases, the govt may transfer responsibility either to the institution itself or to a newly appointed agency.The SOP also mandates strict compliance with all relevant regulatory bodies such as University Grants Commission and All India Council for Technical Education before commencing academic sessions.Officials said the revised SOP aims to attract high-quality educational partners while safeguarding student interests and maintaining institutional integrity.
