Off-campus colleges face heat from AICTE
They Have To Register On Own: Deemed Varsities Told
Pushpa.Narayan@timesgroup.com
Chennai: Off-campus units of deemed universities, 1.5km or farther from the institution’s main campus, are staring at trouble, with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) mandating that they register separately to engineering courses under a new set of new guidelines the council issued last week.
On January 26, the council released 10 guidelines based on its Approval Process Handbook 2018-19 and a November 2017 Supreme Court order, which said all deemed universities should apply as new institutes for approval of all courses in engineering and technology, pharmacy, architecture, applied arts and crafts, management and MCA.
“Universities running their programs or courses from multiple locations... in the same city or different cities should apply separately for all their campuses (multiple locations) AICTE approval,” it said.
This has triggered debate among administrators, educationalists and policymakers, as some universities run more than one unit that the Union HRD ministry has not notified as an off-campus facility.
The apex court order said allinstitutions offering technical education would function under AICTE, but UGC would retain the power to grant institutions university status.
AICTE officials said they had started the exercise because deemed universities did not share information on their campus, seat or student numbers or graduate and placement data.
“AICTE will only check if the facilities available are [proportionate to the number of students and courses] based on standard quality norms,” said AICTE chairman Anil Shastrabudhe. “UGC permits [off-campus colleges, so] if theuniversities have colleges, there [should be] no problem. We want toensure that they have [adequate] facilities.”
The Supreme Court said deemed universities offering technical and engineering courses must come under AICTE,” said Rabu Manohar, a senior counsel of the Centre. “Most of these universities never had AICTE approval for engineering courses. It’s time for them to fall in line under AICTE or they will be in contempt of the apex court.”
Academicians disagree. They ask: Will these campuses register under a deemed university? If so, will AICTE step in the shoes of the UGC? Some senior academicians like former Anna University vice-chancellor M Ananthakrishnan want more drastic action.
“Off-campus campuses are illegal; the authorities should close them,” he said. “We need a uniform law and better enforcement.”
They Have To Register On Own: Deemed Varsities Told
Pushpa.Narayan@timesgroup.com
Chennai: Off-campus units of deemed universities, 1.5km or farther from the institution’s main campus, are staring at trouble, with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) mandating that they register separately to engineering courses under a new set of new guidelines the council issued last week.
On January 26, the council released 10 guidelines based on its Approval Process Handbook 2018-19 and a November 2017 Supreme Court order, which said all deemed universities should apply as new institutes for approval of all courses in engineering and technology, pharmacy, architecture, applied arts and crafts, management and MCA.
“Universities running their programs or courses from multiple locations... in the same city or different cities should apply separately for all their campuses (multiple locations) AICTE approval,” it said.
This has triggered debate among administrators, educationalists and policymakers, as some universities run more than one unit that the Union HRD ministry has not notified as an off-campus facility.
The apex court order said allinstitutions offering technical education would function under AICTE, but UGC would retain the power to grant institutions university status.
AICTE officials said they had started the exercise because deemed universities did not share information on their campus, seat or student numbers or graduate and placement data.
“AICTE will only check if the facilities available are [proportionate to the number of students and courses] based on standard quality norms,” said AICTE chairman Anil Shastrabudhe. “UGC permits [off-campus colleges, so] if theuniversities have colleges, there [should be] no problem. We want toensure that they have [adequate] facilities.”
The Supreme Court said deemed universities offering technical and engineering courses must come under AICTE,” said Rabu Manohar, a senior counsel of the Centre. “Most of these universities never had AICTE approval for engineering courses. It’s time for them to fall in line under AICTE or they will be in contempt of the apex court.”
Academicians disagree. They ask: Will these campuses register under a deemed university? If so, will AICTE step in the shoes of the UGC? Some senior academicians like former Anna University vice-chancellor M Ananthakrishnan want more drastic action.
“Off-campus campuses are illegal; the authorities should close them,” he said. “We need a uniform law and better enforcement.”
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