New Delhi: Engineering and technology colleges can only introduce new courses in “emerging areas” like robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), and not in conventional fields, once the 2020-21 academic session starts.
The rule is among new guidelines released by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the apex body for technical education, earlier this month. Among other things, the guidelines also reiterate a rule, in place since 2018, barring institutes from adopting names that give them the same abbreviations as premier government institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).
The guidelines, issued 4 February, lay down the benchmark for approval of technical institutions — or renewal of permissions — for the academic year 2020-21.
They also seek to address oversupply in engineering education that results in hundreds of seats going vacant every year. To this end, the guidelines state that institutes looking to bolster intake and start additional courses will only be permitted to do so in “emerging areas”.
An emerging area is a new field of study. The examples listed by the AICTE include Artificial Intelligence [AI], Internet of Things [IoT], blockchain [the technology behind Bitcoin, etc], robotics, quantum computing, data sciences, cybersecurity, 3D printing and design, and augmented reality/virtual Reality (AR/VR).
“The latest AICTE regulations are expected to create an academic ambience… for nurturing and supporting quality, so that technical education in India will be one of the best in the world,” said AICTE chairman Anil Sahasrabudhe.
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‘Can’t name institutes IIT/IIM’
The guidelines reiterate a standing instruction that new institutes cannot name themselves in a way that abbreviates to IIT, IIM, NIT (National Institute of Technology) or IISc (Indian Institute of Science IISc).
The rule, AICTE officials say, is meant to prevent students from getting confused.
The restriction, the guidelines state, will not apply if the “technical institution is established by the Government of India or its name is approved by the Government of India”.
All institutions, they add, will write their full, unabbreviated name on their website and handbook.
Ban on new engineering colleges
The council has also banned the setting up of new engineering colleges — a bar driven by the massive number of seats going vacant. Intake can’t be increased either, the rules state, unless in new courses introduced in emerging areas.
“In view of the large number of vacant seats in various programmes during the last few years and the likely future demand, the council shall not grant approval to new technical institutions at the diploma/ undergraduate/postgraduate level in engineering and technology,” the rules state.
The guidelines also bar the setting up of new pharmacy courses, “for a period of two years beginning… academic year 2020-21”, for the same reason. ThePrint had first reported about the bar on new pharmacy colleges in October 2019.
The regulations call on institutions to give elaborate details about their fee structure, including the break-up, and faculty members’ qualifications on their websites.
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On the one hand, IITs are supposed to be premiere govt. engg. colleges. On the other hand, some idiots in MHRD have named some municipal standard institutes as IITs (for e.g. the ones at Goa, Palakkad, Tirupati etc. are just namesake IITs, and are light years away from what an IIT should be).
So why ban others from doing the same when the idiots in your own backyard are doing it? Are the rules different for MHRD officials (including the minister) who did this irreversible stupidity, than others in the country?
It is good decision from AICTE
First thing indtriduce new syllabus which is required according to the engineering and moniter what things are studying in collage like old book etc.
Times of India in its March 18th 2017 edition had reported the information provided by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). There were many contradictions found then amongst initiatives of MHRD & AICTE. Non compatibility of data and targets.
When we read today’s report and also APH 2020-21, its again shocking to know that earlier targets and initiatives are again not reviewed.
Also the integration & synergy at all levels amongst AICTE (apex body), MHRD, Respective State Governments, Directorate of Technical Education, Universities, Technical Institutions, Industries etc. being felt very poor.
Introduction of courses in emerging areas being encouraged by the AICTE but many Universities donot have curriculum in place for immediate Commencement.
In short, it’s a problem of System Dynamics and to be studied, understood and implemented through a rigorous process and not just based on reports generated. When we read all previous reports and thereafter adoption by AICTE had no compatibility and hence we find Indian Engineering Education is absolutely at cross roads.
May God grant righteous wisdom to approach this problem for all those who matters.
Now education sector becomes the biggest business sector in India and as we know that business known only profit making not based on quality, quality is one of the factor only for profit.
Aicte is itself spoiled tech education,out of 15lakh seats only 50% filled
Quite a few college are part of the scam
Even AICTE is culprit. Why you are giving permission to new collages to open Degree courses and master’s? Don’t they know what quality they are providing?, what Infrastructure they have? Do they have all lab equipments and the other facilities too. No, they know it very well even though they’re giving permission. Faculties are not getting salaries in many institutions. Their salary is on hold since long time. So many complaints have been sent to AICTE what action they are taking? Illegal termination of faculty is now a days a trend in many of the colleges. Why higher bodies are not taking action. Not only AICTE is responsible for these many loop holes equally the education minister, PMO, Universities, CMO and many others are responsible for such a bad situation what many of the students, faculties are facing. You are doing inspection only for the name sake. So all things what you mentioned to improve the quality of education and bla bla bla this won’t be work anymore. Because you all are who are making such rules are also not following any thing. Situation become worst on day to day basis.
Indians are hence educated but unemployable.
So cut out this shit of college business which is mostly run by political lobbies and high influential business class.
Ban even iits because MF have not gotten any Nobel prize while taking the most INTELLECTUAL persons . Even now working for west , our poorness even not emitted, ban these MF , money sucking, propaganda , where brains took to make old robots, Laks of money in tuition, 100 of crore of infrastructure, and God dam no one no one interested to make something feasible.
DAmmit,,, it’s the place of placement and sucking money ,tell naa yu mf feel great to create million doller industry in the name of such thing . Jai hind
I am so sorry but our high school education is such that most people going into IIT are neither intellectuals nor innovators they are rote learners.Those people who only know how to solve questions using formulae but not the concept behind it
“The latest AICTE regulations are expected to create an academic ambience… for nurturing and supporting quality, so that technical education in India will be one of the best in the world,”.
Is this supposed to be a joke? The AICTE is the reason why other institutions aren’t able to reach the levels of IIT and IIM.
ITI is creating confusion since many years and people gets confused with IIT , many marriage took place due to this confusion , govt. Should change its name as it is diploma . Thanks
Please work for faculty also…almost all engineer colleges teaching faculty suffering from low salary (not as per ugc) or not on time. Now days colsolated is on high in government college also …why so if any candidate don’t have quality he will not get job …but candidate having quality qualifications then if he is getting consolidated salary then it is not as per constitution. Now talking about many AICTE faculty name shown on AICTE website not getting full salary, they are not eligible to apply any funding because of not UGC …now how to do research…and after completion PhD getting salary consolidate 70000 …student prefer to drive OlA Uber …they are earning more than doctorate candidates.
AICTE has been sleeping since emerging of engineering colleges only for business. Tamilnadu itself ranks high in having more engineering colleges. For every 30 kms from one city to another city we could see engineering colleges. Then AICTE just promoted those worst colleges to autonomous status thus ruined many students life and money, their family economic growth etc… After hearing this news feels good. I too a prey for this name confusion. I wanted to join in CIT which was government approved but unfortunately i picked CIET which was private and entire 4 years has been ruined.
I want to get admitted in the IISC as a student of Physics this yr.
Beta sapne na dekho itne bade
But IISc is not a hospital so that you can not get admitted there???, But you can get admission there in physics. Anyway, All the Best of Luck for it.
A step long overdue!
A number of private engineering institutes are churning BTech and MTech degrees. It has devalued these degrees given by IITs.
Dilip Kumar Patel
Registration of companies don’t exist? He could have been guidelines. Too many government agencies deliver too little governance. Shutdown some ministries?
IIT sucks anyways.
Its world rank is somewhere at about 300+
Aicte was sleeping when engineering education was over supplied all these years?