Engg colleges should have syllabi to match with industry needs, says AICTE Chairman Avinash Pant

By Vikas Vaidya

New Chairman of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) Avinash Pant
emphasizes on having syllabi in technical institutions that should match with industry needs. Pant was speaking exclusively to The Hitavada. He had been to city to be the key-note speaker during the workshop on national skill qualification framework organised by AICTE and hosted by Jhulelal Institute of Technology (JIT).
Prof S S Mantha has resigned from the post and Vice-Chairman Avinash Pant who is also the Director of College of Engineering, Pune was given the responsibility of Chairmanship.
Pant said, “We have to develop skills to overcome the gap and it is important for the education industry to be aware of what skills are in demand in the market." He added that all stakeholders need to work together for the success of skill workshops being held across the country.”
Pant pointed out, “In the year 2012, considering increase in vacancy of seats in engineering, AICTE has lowered down the per centage criterion from 50 to 45 for open and from 45 to 40 for reserved category. This has also not helped in reducing the vacancy position. This year it has crossed 65,000 mark. I think geographical location of the colleges plays an important role. Second problem is job after engineering. Most of the students want jobs and they search for colleges which have good placement record. In last few years due to economy slowdown, industries suffered. Students did not get good jobs so the inclination towards engineering education has lowered down.”
Pant said, “There is imbalance in demand:supply ratio as far as engineering education is concerned. It means demand from industries was more but qualitative supply was very less. Of course, good institutions are the exceptions. The way education should be given, is not imparted by many institutions. Most of the institutions are affiliated to universities and universities have not changed the syllabi. Syllabi to be revamped. Most of the universities are running with the old syllabi. Now it is high time for the universities to bring changes in syllabi which would have linkage with industries. AICTE has put model curriculum on its website, the help of which can be availed. The syllabus should be revised periodically.”
We will be taking National Skill Qualification Framework project ahead. Secondly, we have 24 quality enhancement schemes to raise quality of the teachers. Earlier we had 20 centres where the training to teachers is given. Now the number has been increased to to 80 centres. The idea of perspective plan by Prof S S Mantha, ex-Chairman will be taken ahead. The respective Boards of College and University Development (BCUDs) should support it, added Pant

College approval processing to be speed up

The court has extended its permission allowing AICTE to grant approval to technical education institutions in the country by one more year. The council will start the approval process for 2015-16 academic year in another 10 days, AICTE Chairman Avinash Pant said
Pant said, “Among top priorities this will be the one. With the Supreme Court order the prevailing confusion has over.”
AICTE commences its approval process in the month of December for the next academic year. Applications were accepted till the end of December and they were processed between January and March to give approval to those who fulfilled the norms. Last year, the Supreme Court first debarred AICTE from regulating technical institutions in the country. This prompted the UGC to take control and issue guidelines apart from banning new institutions and increasing student intake. But, later on, the Supreme Court restored the power to AICTE and the council started approval process for 2014-15 very late on May 10.