UGC for curbing mushrooming technical institutions

By Vikas Vaidya

With an eye on bringing quality in technical education, University Grants Commission freezed new engineering colleges. In its recent circular UGC has made it clear that all affiliating universities shall neither invite nor process any application from colleges providing technical education for the academic year 2014-15.
In view of the pattern of enrolment in colleges providing technical education vis-à-vis the approved intake capacity thereof over the last couple of years (data collected from AICTE), it has been decided to have a one-year moratorium on affiliation of fresh colleges providing technical education, by universities; and approval of increase in the intake of students in technical colleges. Accordingly, all affiliating universities shall neither invite nor process any application from colleges providing technical education for the academic year 2014-15.
In a letter sent to Vice-Chancellors of all universities, the Secretary of UGC has made it clear that however, applications with regard to purposes other than the ones mentioned above may be considered in accordance with UGC (affiliation of colleges offering technical education by universities) regulations, 2014. In recent years, the number of engineering colleges in country have been increased beyond limits. But quality has degraded. The main reason for the degradation in quality is said to be the lack of teachers apart from the infrastructural facilities.
Increasing vacancies in technical institutions is the issue of concern and proper perspective plan can be the answer to this problem. While preparing this plan, the need for the engineering colleges should be taken care matching with the number of eligible students, this is what Dr S S Mantha, Chairman of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) had stated.
In recent years everybody observed that thoughout the country, over 30 per cent seats in technical education remained vacant. AICTE took every care so that the large number of seats in technical education should not remain vacant. AICTE allotted colleges as per the rules and number of colleges mushroomed, but barring few, others could not perform or maintain quality. Because of this, though the number of aspirants increased but they opted for less number of colleges which were maintaining quality.
Global need for engineering graduates was still much more and India has the capacity to provide it but the colleges in India are failing to maintain quality. He warned technical institutions that if they do not go for quality, then they would put themselves in the list of the colleges which are on the verge of closure.
But as the wings of AICTE were clipped by Government of India by removing their powers to have upper hand on universities, now UGC has become much more powerful. This decision of UGC may curb the mushroomin of engineering colleges in the country.

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