An unusual surge in the number of engineering students securing distinction marks across Telangana has triggered concerns of grade inflation in autonomous colleges, as per a report by The Times of India.
The trend, flagged by the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad (JNTUH), has led to closer scrutiny of these institutions, many of which gained autonomous status in recent years.
Speaking at a recent meeting with college administrators, JNTUH Vice-Chancellor T Kishen Reddy revealed that some colleges showed over a 25 per cent increase in distinction scorers post-autonomy.
“The jump in marks is not isolated; it's widespread across a majority of these colleges,” he noted, adding that results from several institutions have now been put on hold for verification.
This issue was first highlighted in November 2024, when the vice-chancellor of Osmania University cracked down on a college for alleged mark inflation, reported TOI.
Now, JNTUH is facing a similar challenge, with over 90 autonomous colleges under its umbrella, including 88 engineering and a handful of pharmacy colleges.
A senior JNTUH official told TOI that a comparative study was conducted, analysing performance trends of students before and after their colleges attained autonomous status. The findings showed a substantial rise not just in pass percentages but also in overall scores, particularly during semester examinations.
“This is not about one or two institutions — it’s a systemic issue across 40 to 45 colleges that became autonomous three to four years ago,” the official said.
To curb this growing concern, the university is now considering mark normalisation as a corrective step.
“We need stricter mechanisms to prevent arbitrary mark allotment and ensure fairness in the evaluation process,” the official added.
Further allegations against some autonomous colleges include leaking question papers, improper evaluation of answer scripts, and failure to conduct mandatory Academic Council and Board of Governance meetings.
Criticism has also come from within the academic community. KVK Rao, General Secretary of the All India Federation of Self-Financing Technical Institutions, accused some autonomous institutions of operating more like “degree-distributing factories.”
“Students are lured with the promise of easy degrees and high marks — in many of these colleges, everything is up for sale,” he claimed.
