‘Aim to make India a global education hub, again’

Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon has been granted Category 1 Graded Autonomy by AICTE, a recognition that strengthens its academic independence, enabling it to onboard up to 20% foreign faculty and students, and launch new programmes without prior approvals. Avanish Kumar, dean, School of Public Policy & Governance and Accreditations & Rankings, and co-chairperson (New Initiatives), MDI Gurgaon, during a conversation with Pritha Roy Choudhury, explains what this milestone means for the institute – from greater academic freedom and innovation in curriculum design to its evolution into a multidisciplinary university. Edited excerpts:

- Pritha Roy Choudhury

Q. Congratulations on the AICTE Category 1 recognition. How will this help MDI Gurgaon?

A. Graded autonomy is both a recognition of responsibility and a matter of pride for MDI – for our faculty and the institution as a whole. This recognition reaffirms what MDI has been doing for decades – delivering quality education with consistency. It not only acknowledges our past achievements but also gives us the freedom to move ahead with greater responsibility.

Therefore, the AICTE recognition

(1) Reinforces MDI's self-accountability to set an example for many higher education institutions in pursuing quality education beyond compliance, and

(2) MDI AICTE Category 1 recognition is freedom with responsibility to continue towards our vision with possibilities of academic expansion from a standalone to a multidisciplinary higher education university.

If you look at the broader educational paradigm in India, it is rapidly evolving, especially after NEP 2020. During 2014-15 to 2020-21, on average, 59 universities were added annually. By 2035, the NEP 2020 target is to double enrolment in our higher education institutions from 4.33 crores to nearly nine crores (90 million) students. With extreme heterogeneity in India's education system and the aspiration to become Viksit Bharat, regulations are designed to ensure quality assurance through control and compliance.

MDI's graded autonomy is a significant step forward. It allows us to make more responsible academic choices and set new benchmarks. It strengthens our accountability to deliver quality education beyond regulatory frameworks. It aligns with our and India's vision for evolution from a standalone management institute into a multidisciplinary higher education university.

Q. What does this “freedom” mean for MDI faculty and students?