Three AICTE experts among six arrested by CBI for bribery

Raipur:  Six persons, including three experts associated with the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE), have been arrested by CBI in a bribery case.
    
The trio Sanjay Soni, Manoj Kumar Kushwaha and Rajesh Kumar Singh, who were on an AICTE experts panel, have been charged with entering into a conspiracy with private educational institutions for giving a favourable report to them in return for money, a CBI spokesperson said.
    
Ravinder Vishwakarma, Sandeep Khullar and Sushil Chandrakar who represent different educational institutions have also been arrested for giving bribe to them, he said.     

The arrested accused were produced yesterday in the Court of Special Judge for CBI cases, Raipur and were remanded to Police custody till May 11, 2012.
    
Further investigation of the case is on, he said.
    
Soni is Associate Professor (Applied Mechanics) at Bhopal's Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Kushwaha an Associate Professor of the same subject at SVS College of Engineering & Technology, Ferozepur (Punjab) while Singh is Deputy Director (Architecture), Military Engineering Services, Delhi.
    
Vishwakarma and Khullar are representatives of Sri Sai Shanti Shikshan Samity, Bhilai, while Chandrakar is from Bharti College of Engineering & Technology, Durg (Chhattisgarh).
    
"It was alleged that an expert committee of Central Region of AICTE, Bhopal were camping in a hotel at Durg for the purpose of conducting annual inspection of private educational (technical) institutions in Chhattisgarh.
   
"They entered into a criminal conspiracy with the owners or representatives of the educational institutions and had allegedly received or were to receive illegal gratification from such private persons for giving favourable report," he said.
    
Following information, a trap was laid by CBI when the representatives or officials of two educational institutions delivered bribe amount to AICTE experts in the hotel.
    
"During search of the said room, a cash of Rs 11.71 lakh and 12 gold coins weighing 100 grams (8x10gms + 4x5gms) were recovered and seized from their possession. The three experts of AICTE and three bribe givers representing the educational
institutions were arrested," it said.
    
Searches were also conducted at the residential premises of accused persons of AICTE at Bhopal, Meerut and Firozpur.
    
"During the search of the residences of the accused from Bhopal, Rs 10 lakh cash; 27 sale deeds or power of attorney in respect of the property; 42 pass books of bank & post offices and three keys appearing to be of bank lockers were recovered," the release said.

Universities have lost focus on research activities: AICTE chief

NAGPUR: All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) chairman SS Mantha on Saturday lamented that universities have become exam conducting centres and lost their focus on research activities. "The universities have lost focus and harps successfully conducting examinations involving over five lakh students like an achievement," he said while apologizing to the present and former vice chancellors who were seated on the dais.

His critical remarks came while speaking in an international conference organized by Central India Group of Institutions where a galaxy of dignitaries and educationists were present. They included -Nagpur University vice chancellor Vilas Sapkal, former VC SN Pathan, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Technical University VC Raju Mankar (Former LIT director), and AICC secretary Anees Ahmed.

The AICTE chief further stated that lot of interdisciplinary research can happen in traditional universities as they have courses like arts, science and commerce under one roof. "In fact these universities are best places to promote research and VCs have big roles to play," he remarked.

A VJTI, Mumbai, graduate, Mantha lamented that students are no longer attracted to basic sciences and as a result seats lie vacant in many leading institutions. "India's education sector is witnessing skewed growth and in future we will not get good researchers in basic or applied sciences. If you don't promote basic sciences, there will be no basic research," he said, adding that thrust must be given on fundamental research and later on inter/multidisciplinary research.

"People talk about creation of smaller universities as officials of big ones like Mumbai and Pune don't see eye-to-eye. But I believe a lot more should happen on the research field within universities," Mantha, added.

The AICTE chief who was credited with bringing radical changes in the engineering education system said research was a philosophy which didn't come automatically. "It's something that needs to be practised over the years. Additionally, it needs lot of funds along with infrastructure and facilities. The renowned research institutions in the US and UK were established about 150 years back and they all started from fundamental research."

Expressing concern over India's Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER), he stated that currently it was negligible as compared to developed countries. "There are calls for not granting new colleges. But if large number of students who take a drop from class X or XII decide to study further, all the existing colleges would fall short for accommodating them. Unfortunately, the financial problem is barring these students from pursuing further education and industry must come forward to help them," Mantha hoped.

Deliberating on all-India common engineering test, he said it was a good move and would save a lot of precious money and time of the students like CMAT which they introduced from this year. "The IITs also  welcomed the move but their only issue was taking board's 40% marks into consideration during admission. But such issues are being sorted out," he informed.

Mantha speak

* In 2008-09, 221 million appeared for Std X exam and 11 million cleared it

* 50% of them dropped as only 16 million appeared for Std XII and 8 million passed

* Of them 4.5 lakh went to basic sciences, 5 lakh in commerce and 10 lakh in arts

* 13 lakh went for distance learning mode while 6 lakh opted for vocational education

* But alarmingly, majority of candidates took a drop after Std X or XII

AICTE clears 17 new tech institutions in state

PUNE: At least 17 new technical institutions, which include engineering colleges, will go functional in the state from the coming academic year 2012-13. 

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), which regulates technical education in the country, has cleared these institutions as part of the approval process for new institutions, new courses and variation in student intake for 2012-13. 

AICTE's officiating chairman S S Mantha told TOI on Wednesday, "We received 669 applications for new institutions including engineering, polytechnics, management, pharmacy, architecture and applied arts colleges, among others. Of these, 76 proposals including 17 from Maharashtra have been cleared. All the remaining proposals have been rejected." 

Mantha said details about the approved institutions and their sanctioned intake will be released in a day or two. "We have now moved into the appeals process for those institutions whose applications have been rejected," he said. 

The AICTE started the approval process for 2012-13 by seeking online submission of proposals between October and December 2011. The process for scrutiny of these proposals had begun in January and ended on March 31. 

Mantha said, "Of the 669 pleas, 307 were for new polytechnics and the remaining applications were for degree and post-graduate institutions for engineering, management and other technical courses. There were 119 applications from Maharashtra." 

The state government had earlier written to the AICTE urging that no new engineering colleges be sanctioned this year in view of the large number of engineering seats going vacant for the last few years in the state. 

As of now, Maharashtra accounts for nearly 325 engineering colleges that collectively have a student intake of over 1.20 lakh seats. For the last two years, the engineering colleges in the state have reported close to 20,000 vacant seats. 

Mantha said, "We received the letter from the Maharashtra government and we discussed the issue at our meeting too. However, applying a sudden brake on the process of approving new institutions is not a practical solution considering the gestation period for any institution to reach the state where it can apply for approval." 

"Usually, it takes around two years for an institution to have all the necessary ground work in place, including raising capital, making investments in new buildings, labs and allied infrastructure and meeting other norms before it can move an application for approval before the AICTE. We cannot suddenly say no to these institutions," he said. 

Mantha, however, said that the council was conscious about the concerns raised by Maharashtra as well as the other state governments regarding vacant seats. "We will review our policy for approval of new institutions which intend to start from 2014-15," he said. 

AICTE signs MoU with TISS

New Delhi: Adding value to government's skill development initiative, the AICTE roped in Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) to conduct studies on skill requirements and develop content for various sectors.

TISS will not only conduct research into vocational education but will develop teaching methodologies and pedagogy, work in the area of training the trainers and develop methodology for skill assessment and skill  accreditation, AICTE chairman S S Mantha told reporters here.

An MoU was signed in this regard between the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and TISS in the presence of HRD Minister Kapil Sibal.

Mantha said the role of TISS will broadly be based on the mandate of the National Vocational Education Curriculum Framework (NVEQF) which the AICTE is spearheading.

He said the AICTE has agreed to support the school of vocational education of TISS with financial assistance up to Rs 10 crore over a period of three years.

Mantha said TISS will form centres of excellence, one each for industry vertical, to develop a standardised pedagogy for each trade in the vocational sphere.

TISS also proposes to incubate a national vocational training university, starting as a School of Vocational Education, offering a two year certificate course where a student will pass out as 'Technician', he said. 

AICTE likely to forbid new professional colleges from 2014

Mumbai: In the recent past with supply surpassing demand for engineering and management seats, the AICTE may perhaps be forced stop new professional colleges coming up from 2014.

This decisive stand was taken in a recent meeting of All-India Council for Technical Education, after requests from several states poured in to the council to reject fresh proposals for starting new professional colleges.

Many states wanted AICTE to immediately stop accepting applications, but the process of setting up a college, like buying land and building the infrastructure, starts two years before a college approaches the AICTE for permission. Hence, the regulatory body has decided that two years from now, it will review the situation and may stop accepting proposals for new technical colleges. 

With more number of seats going vacant in engineering and management colleges over the past few years, several states had written to AICTE not to clear proposals for new institutes.

Currently, 3,393 engineering colleges that offer 14.86 lakhs seats and 3,900 management schools with a total student intake of 3.5 lakh are present in India. 

AICTE estimates that nearly three lakh seats were unfilled at the close of admissions last year.

Already many states have decided not to allow colleges to start this year, with the state governments and the council locking horns on the issue.

AICTE received 2,176 applications to start new professional degree colleges two years ago, but the number stands at a paltry 362 this year. Gradually, two years from now, there may be no new professional colleges that will come up.

AICTE may bar new engineering, management colleges from 2014

MUMBAI: With supply outstripping demand for engineering and management seats, the country may stop new professional colleges coming up from 2014. This firm stand was taken recently at a meeting of the All-India Council for Technical Education, the country's inspector which grants permission to new professional technical colleges. The decision follows requests from several states that want the Council to reject fresh proposals for more colleges. 

While many states wanted the AICTE to immediately stop accepting applications, the process of setting up a college, like buying land and building the infrastructure, starts two years before a college trust approaches the AICTE for permission. "So, we have decided that two years from now, we will review the situation and may stop accepting proposals for all new technical colleges," said AICTE chairman S S Mantha. 

States such as Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Haryana and Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra told the AICTE to not to clear proposals for new institutes after waking up to the fact that the number of vacant seats in engineering and management colleges has risen dramatically over the last three years. India is now home to 3,393 engineering colleges that have 14.86 lakhs seats; today there are 3,900 management schools with a total student intake of 3.5 lakh. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh have about 70% tech institutes. When admissions closed last year, AICTE estimated that nearly three lakh seats were unfilled. 

Despite the AICTE's decision, many states have decided not to allow colleges to start this year, with the state governments and the council embarking on a collision course. 

This year, the AICTE received a total of 204 applications for new engineering institutes and 86 for MBA colleges. "This year, we saw an interest in colleges again wanting to invest in engineering education. However, applications from the southern states, which have witnessed the expansion, are down to a trickle," added Mantha. Andhra Pradesh, which has the largest number of engineering colleges in India, has dispatched merely eight applications this year and a similar number for starting MBA colleges. 

However, over time, with no plan, growth has been skewed, but if AICTE's optimism is anything to go by, the country will now see professional colleges springing up in areas like the north-east and in central India, which are yet suffering from low enrolment in the professional education sector. 

Closer home, edupreneurs (education entrepreneurs) from Maharashtra are bullish on the growth in this sector. Maharashtra has a rich pool of 348 engineering institutes and 408 MBA colleges. And the fact that 34,000 seats did not have any takers last year did not play spoilsport. The AICTE received 30 applications to start engineering colleges and 15 for MBA institutes from Maharashtra this year (see box). 

"We have received the highest number of applications from Maharashtra. But, we have an impressive 307 applicants (almost 50% of the entire pool) for starting polytechnics (colleges that offer diploma in engineering) from across India," added Mantha. 

However, overall the slowdown is perceptible: two years ago, the AICTE received 2,176 applications to start new professional degree colleges and this time around, the number stands at a paltry 362. And two years from now, there may be no new colleges that will come up.