ECC is ?College with Potential of Excellence?

ADMIRED AS one of the best Constituent colleges of Allahabad University (AU), the Ewing Christian College (ECC) has added another feather to its cap.

ECC has been selected as one of the 50 colleges of the country by the University Grants' Commission (UGC) under its 'Colleges with Potential of Excellence (CPE)' scheme and has become eligible to receive special financial assistance of  upto Rs 1 crore to help it reach world class standards in academics and research.

"ECC's achievement can be best gauged from the fact that as many as 333 colleges of 65 universities spread across 20 states and Union territories of the country had applied to be chosen under the CPE scheme. A total of five colleges including ECC have finally been selected under the scheme from UP," said ECC Principal Dr M Massey.

"The achievement is a matter for honour that has become a reality thanks to the hard work of our faculty members, management and the students and the support that we have always received from our university," Dr Massey added.

The UGC had been contemplating to introduce a scheme corresponding to its 'Universities with Potential of Excellence' scheme for colleges too. Accordingly, during the Xth Plan period, the UGC introduced a new scheme 'Colleges with Potential for Excellence' (CPE) to identify the colleges which are doing good work and have the potential to do excellent work in teaching and research and award them the CPE status.

Since around 16,100 colleges are eligible to receive financial assistance from UGC, it was desired that at least one per cent of the colleges (161) may be identified as CPE colleges in respect of the college sector.

"As per the guidelines prepared for the scheme, each college which is awarded CPE status becomes eligible for financial assistance ranging from Rs 35 lakh to Rs 100 lakh depending upon whether they are affiliated, autonomous and/or accredited colleges," Dr Massey informed.

In 2004, 47 colleges were identified under the scheme, which is referred to as phase-I. During phase-II of the programme, the Vice-Chancellors of the Universities were requested to recommend the names of the best six colleges within their jurisdiction to the UGC after necessary screening is done at the university level.

In response to this, 65 universities spread over 20 states and Union Territories had recommended 333 proposals of the colleges.

Allahabad University recommended ECC, CMP Degree College and SS Khanna Degree College to be considered for being chosen under the CPE scheme.

"At the second level of selection, a standing committee on CPE was constituted by the UGC to process the proposals received from the colleges. The standing committee had approved a scoring scale based on 48 parameters to evaluate the proposals of the colleges," Dr Massey said.

A working group on CPE evaluated the proposals of the colleges as per the scoring scale approved by the standing committee on CPE.

The scores awarded to the proposals and the analysis of the scores thus made was considered by the standing committee which recommended that 50 colleges including ECC spread over 17 states/ union territories and 36 universities may be awarded CPE status.

The commission at its meeting held on April 7, 2006 had approved the recommendations of the standing committee.