Dr. F. S. Umarigar, Principal of Birla Vishvakarma Mahavidyalaya, Vallabh Vidyanagar is facing the challenge of responding to the change of status of the college, from that of Grant-in-Aid to a college with autonomous status. This significant change is contemplated as a part of Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme Phase II (TEQIP II), a government initiative, funded by World Bank. The case presents the operational challenges for improving and sustaining the quality of technical education within the larger transition to autonomous status. It also provides an opportunity to examine the tension between autonomy and governance.