Approved institutions are now permitted by the AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) to offer courses like skill development courses and govt. certified programmes that don’t generally come under the institutions’ syllabi. Numerous seats remain vacant in many colleges that offer professional courses like management and engineering. The latest decision by AICTE could be a solution to this growing problem.
After seeking AICTE’s prior approval, the colleges and institutions can use existing facilities or can create extra facilities to conduct these courses of another regulatory body, depending on their norms and conditions. AICTE mentioned that the quality of the education cannot be affected.
The Reason for the Decision
It’s been noticed in the recent past that many management colleges and engineering institutions have seen a dip in the student admissions compared to the expected intake. It was found that over 40% of the seats remain vacant in the colleges.
This issue of empty seats and multiple other objectives can be addressed through AICTE’s latest amendment, said the state Directorate Technical Education’s (DTE) representatives.
A senior representative said that the passing of the amendment was urged by the ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship. The new move will facilitate a multi-disciplinary education and ensure the utilisation of the already-existing facilities, human resources, and the college infrastructure.
Support from Stakeholders
The amendment by AICTE was supported by stakeholders. MIT College principal, Santhosh Bhosle, commented that when professional colleges offer other courses along with the syllabi, the students will end up with a high employability index. The skill set of the students is heightened, and they are more ready for the professional world. He praised the AICTE for this astute decision.
The AICTE move has come as a relief for many colleges, said the head of another institution. The unsettling ratio of the admission capacity and the actual intake had forced these colleges to consider shutting down, he said.
A legal specialist of the education field, Ravi Bharadwaj, observed that this amendment would enhance the college learning environment. Besides agreeing with the shared opinion that this is a multi-disciplinary opportunity for the students, he reckons that the move will especially help polytechnics give periodic vocational courses and skill development training. This will make the students more industry-ready.
Around 625 approved degree-course institutes have a total admission capacity of close to 1.84 lakh in Maharashtra, according to DTE records. There are also around 760 polytechnics with 1.88 lakh total admission capacity. These colleges will be subjected with the AICTE amendment.