AICTE to bring new changes in the approval norms from AY 2023-24

Hyderabad: The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has directed its stakeholder to send their views on changes in the approval process from the academic years 2023-24.

However, doubts are being expressed over the proposed new changes amidst several complaints that the council was not able to reign in the technical high educational institutions violating the approval process.

Similarly, the council has also failed to play the role of a regulator. By coming to the rescue of students and faculty, who are the two key stakeholders in making any of its academic policies successful?

The AICTE's communication to its education partners/stakeholders this is the State Government Authorities and Affiliating Bodies have sought to send their suggestions. The AICTE communique claimed that the Approval Process of 2022-23 had some major and effective changes as advocated in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020." Now, the appropriate time has come to proceed further in line with the directions envisaged in NEP 2020. It is to bring out sustainable development and aims to transform India into a vibrant knowledge society and global knowledge superpower by making higher education more holistic, flexible and multidisciplinary.

The new changes were also meant with an aim to bring in more equity, quality, affordability and accountability in HEIs and transparency, effect and more efficient system of granting approvals.

Against this backdrop, the Council has planned to bring out a few more changes in the Approval Process Handbook 2023-24 in line with NEP 2020.

Thus, it has asked the stakeholders to send their suggestions and area of improvement concerning the Approval Process Policy of 2023-24. Further, the process of seeking suggestions is meant to facilitate a consultative and participatory approach with the stakeholders. However, speaking to The Hans India, a top official of a State university said that universities and colleges are more worried about the University Grants Commission (UGC). The AICTE is taken lightly, given its mandate and powers to penalise and punish the erring HEI's." Once the AICTE gives its approval for courses, based on the affiliated university recommendations and self-appraisal documents neither the universities nor colleges bother about the implimentation of the AICTE norms, he added.

Most of the HEIs in technical education are not following the norms set out in the approval handbook of the AICTE. Following which how would the newly proposed changes be fellowed remains a million-dollar question.