New Delhi, July 24 - Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal Friday said the government is considering setting up autonomous colleges independent of universities.

Addressing a meeting of principal secretaries and secretaries of higher education from various states here, Sibal said: 'The government is thinking in terms of allowing the setting up of autonomous colleges.'

The minister's day-long interaction with the officials was his first initiative to evolve a consensus of the states for reforms in the education sector.

'These (autonomous) colleges would require higher level of parameters to be independent of universities and once they improve even further, they may be allowed to become universities themselves,' Sibal said.