AICTE: 75% dip in applications for new tech institutes

There has been a 75 per cent decrease in the applications for the setting up of new technical institutions in the country. The All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) has received only 500 applications for new institutes this year compared to 2,176 last year.

The change can be attributed to the council’s tightened norms to approve new institutes. While some experts believe that availability of seats has exceeded the demand is the reason behind such transition.

“The saturation is obvious with seats in technical colleges going vacant across the country,” said Dr KG Narayankhedkar, director, VJTI in Matunga, Maharashtra. “Educational institutions have realised there is now a disparity in demand and supply unlike five years ago.”

In Maharashtra, there were 12,000 management seats and 22,000 engineering seats vacant after the admission process in 2010. The state then had no other option than to admit graduates who had not even attempted the common entrance test. Andhra Pradesh has the country’s highest number of technical institutes — 1,600, of which about 500 are in a single district Karim Nagar.

AICTE’s officiating chairman, SS Mantha has also said that several scrutiny measures have been taken to  ensure no non-serious players get to open an institution, “We have put in several scrutiny committees such as a vigilance and ethics committee that comprise academicians, social activists and architects,” said SS Mantha, officiating chairman, AICTE.

“These various committees will conduct surprise checks very often. Also, managements have to put up all documents such as land ownership in the public domain. All documents are available on the council’s website” he added.

[Source: Hindustan Times]