Technical Education: India
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Technical education system in India
The source of the first part of this article INDIA 2012
A REFERENCE ANNUAL
Compiled by
RESEARCH, REFERENCE AND TRAINING DIVISION
PUBLICATIONS DIVISION
MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
The Technical Education System in the country covers courses in engineering,
technology, management, architecture, pharmacy, etc. The technical education
system in the country can be broadly classified into three categories: Central
Government funded institutions, State Government/State-funded institutions and
self financed institutions. In 2009-10, there were 65 centrally funded institutions in
the country. The Ministry of Human Resource Development caters to programmes
at undergraduate, postgraduate and research levels.
The technical education system at the central level comprises, among others, the following :
a) The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), which is the statutory body for proper planning and coordinated development of the technical education system;
b) Fifteen Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs);
c) Seven Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs);
d) One Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore;
e) Five Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research and f) Twenty National Institutes of Technology (NITs) (converted from RECs with 100 per cent Central funding).
Initiatives have been taken to promote research and education in basic sciences in the country. The IIS, Bangalore was sanctioned a special grant of Rs 100 crore to upgrade its infrastructure facilities, including laboratories. On the recommendation of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, two Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research have been approved at Pune and Kolkata. These Institutes will combine education in basic sciences at undergraduate and postgraduate level, with world class research facilities.
To enhance research productivity in Science and Technology Education and to improve quality of education, access to electronic journals and databases is being provided to all technical institutions. To benefit from lower costs, AICTE and Indian National Digital Library for Science and Technology (INDEST) have joined hands to form a combined AICTE-INDEST consortium.
In 2009-10, several measures were taken to implement the government's vision of providing increased access with equality and excellence. The setting up of new IITS, IIMS, IISEs, and assisting State governments in setting up new polytechnics and NITs are steps in this direction.
Technical Institutes in India
December 19, 2014
The demand for skilled workforce is growing in tandem with India's economic growth. But governmentgovt-aided professional institutes have not kept pace with the increasing demand for professional training. This gap is filled by private institutes that constitute 85% of AICTE-approved professional institutes in India. A little over 40% of such institutes are located in the four southern states. If we add Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, then these six states are home to about 66% of AICTE-approved professional institutes
Expenditure on technical education
The Times of India, Jul 03 2015
Mahendra Singh
Poll: Spend on tech courses 9 times of general education's
A student, opting for general education, on an average spent around Rs 6,788 in an academic session, Rs 62,841 for technical or professional education and Rs 27,676 for vocational course, reveals a government survey. According to a latest NSSO study , the private expenditure on technical professional courses and vocational education was about nine times and four times respectively than that on general education.
In 2007-08, the spending on technical courses and vocational education was 13 times and six times more as compared to general education.The survey found that the spending on technical education in private aided and unaided institutions varied between 1.5-2.5 times of that in government institutions.
The private expenditure was calculated as spending by students in the form of course fees (including tuition fees, examination fees etc.), purchase of books, stationery and uni forms, expenses on conveyance, private coaching, etc.Expense on course fee accounted for nearly 46% of the expenditure for general education and 73% of the expenditure for technical education.
The students pursuing general courses spent more (15%) on private coaching as against 3% for those pursuing technical and vocational education. Interestingly , those opting for general courses spent substantially more (22%) on books as compared to those doing technical courses (10%).
In states like Delhi, Haryana and Chandigarh the spending on general education was more than double of national average of Rs 6,788.It was also found that, at primary level expenditure per student in urban areas was Rs 10,083, more than four times than that in rural areas, pegged at Rs 2,811. The findings are part of a survey on “Social Consumption: Education“ (January to June 2014), conducted by the NSSO.
Method of education
No technical education via correspondence: SC
Amit Anand Choudhary, Nov 3, 2017: The Times of India
HIGHLIGHTS
The apex court restrained educational institutions from providing courses in subjects like engineering, in the distance education mode
With its ruling, the SC affirmed the findings of the Punjab and Haryana high court on the issue
Also with its ruling, the SC set aside a verdict by the Odisha high court, which allowed technical education by correspondence
Engineering degrees of hundreds of students who pursued education through correspondence course from four deemed Universities — JRN Rajasthan Vidyapeeth, Institute of Advanced Studies in Education in Rajasthan, Allahabad Agricultural Institute and Vinayaka Mission Research Foundation in Tamil Nadu from year 2001 onwards have been quashed by the Supreme Court.
A bench of Justices AK Goel and UU Lalit, however, allowed students of 2001-05 batch to get their degree by appearing in the examination to be conducted by AICTE but it cancelled the degrees of students of subsequent batches as the deemed university had not got approval from authorities for the course.
"As regards students who were admitted after the academic sessions 2001-2005, their degrees in engineering awarded by the concerned deemed to be universities through distance education mode stand recalled and be treated as cancelled. All benefits secured by such candidates shall stand withdrawn. However, the entire amount paid by such students to the concerned deemed to be universities towards tuition fees and other expenditure shall be returned by the concerned deemed to be universities," the bench said.
The apex court also restrained deemed universities from offering correspondence courses without getting approval from AICTE. "We restrain all "deemed to be universities" to carry on any courses in distance education mode from the academic session 2018- 2019 onwards unless and until it is permissible to conduct such courses in distance education mode and specific permissions are granted by the concerned statutory/regulatory authorities in respect of each of those courses and unless the off-campus centres/study centres are individually inspected and found adequate by the concerned statutory authorities. The approvals have to be course specific," the bench said.
The court also directed CBI inquiry to catch the government officials who had allowed deemed universities to offer the distance learning courses which was not allowed. The court asked the government to constitute a high-level committee to examine the functioning of deemed universities.
We direct the CBI to carry out thorough investigation into the conduct of the concerned officials who dealt with the matters and went about the granting permissions against the policy statement, as indicated in Para 49 above and into the conduct of institutions who abused their position to advance their commercial interest illegally.
"The Union of India may constitute a three members Committee comprising of eminent persons who have held high positions in the field of education, investigation, administration or law at national level within one month. The Committee may examine the issues indicated above and suggest a road map for strengthening and setting up of oversight and regulatory mechanism in the relevant field of higher education and allied issues within six months. The Committee may also suggest oversight mechanism to regulate the Deemed to be Universities. The Union of India may examine the said report and take such action as may be considered appropriate within one month thereafter and file an affidavit in this Court of the action taken on or before August 31, 2018" it said.
SC: Engineering degrees secured since 2001 via correspondence invalid
Court Orders CBI Probe Against Erring Officials
In a major setback to thousands of students who pursued engineering studies through correspondence courses offered by deemed universities in the last 16 years, the Supreme Court declared that the degrees were invalid, putting them at risk of losing jobs obtained on the basis of the certificates.
A bench of Justices A K Goel and U U Lalit noted that the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) did not approve distance learning programmes in engineering studies and the approval granted by the Distance Education Council (DEC) for such courses was illegal.
The SC decision exposes the extent to which the regulatory system was compromised as the courses were being run for more than a decade and a half without attracting serious scrutiny.
The apex court directed the Centre to create an oversight mechanism to regulate deemed universities, saying that UGC completely failed to curb the commercialisation of education. It asked the go vernment to review the deemed university status of various institutions.
The court adjudicated a bunch of petitions on the validity of correspondence courses of four deemed universities -JRN Rajasthan Vidyapeeth, Institute of Advanced Studies in Education in Rajasthan, Allahabad Agricultural Institute and Vinayaka Mission's Research Foundation in Tamil Nadu -which have been providing engineering education through correspondence since 2001 despite AICTE disapproval.
The apex court restrained all deemed universities from offering correspondence courses without the approval of the AICTE and directed a CBI probe against officials who permitted the universities to run the programmes from 2001. The court passed the or der after UGC's coun sel and ASG Maninder Singh and AICTE advocate Anil Soni informed the court that distance learning courses in engineering were not permitted.
Holding the degree issued by universities invalid, the court, however, opened a small window for students who took admission between 2001 and 2005 to revive their degree by undergoing a fresh examination by AICTE. It said they should be given another chance as they pursued the course under the impression that the course is valid in the light of DEC's approval. But the court had no sympathy for the students of the post-2005 batches as they were aware that the courses lacked sanction.
“AICTE shall devise the modalities to conduct an appropriate test. Students (from 2001-05 batches) be given not more than two chances to clear the test and if they do not successfully clear the test within the stipulated time, their degrees shall stand can celled,“ the bench said suspending their degrees.
“In respect of students admitted after the academic sessions of 2001-2005, the degrees in engineering awarded by the concerned deemed to be universities through distance education mode shall stand recalled and be treated as cancelled. Any benefit which a candidate has secured as a result of such degrees in engineering in the nature of promotion or advancement in career shall also stand recalled.However, if any monetary benefit was derived by such candidates, that ...will not be recovered by the concerned departments or employers,“ it said and directed the universities to refund the money to students.
“We restrain all deemed to be universities to carry on any courses in distance education mode from the academic session 2018-19 unless it is permissible to conduct such courses in distance education mode and specific permissions are granted by the concerned statutoryregulatory authorities,“ the bench said.
Who is responsible for cancellation of technical degrees?
Since 2001, thousands got employed after obtaining technical degrees through correspondence courses from deemed universities, got married and raised families. They and those dependent on them stare at an uncertain future as the Supreme Court cancelled their degrees.
The SC said deemed universities, without approval from University Grants Commission and All India Council for Technical Education, could not have conferred degrees in technical subjects through distance education based on illegal approval by the Distance Education Council (DEC).
Those who obtained technical degrees through distance learning between 2001 and 2005 will get another chance to redeem their qualification through an examination to be conducted by AICTE. But those who acquired degrees after 2005 will have to look for other jobs. What kind, no one knows.
Dearth of seats in higher education has made the competition stiff with time as the population increases rapidly . A handful look for knowledge or accomplishment in a subject through education. Most look to bag remunerative employment or a career in politics using universities as the first step in a winding ladder. That is why a travesty is getting starker by the day -teachers in coaching institutes earning more than those shaping the minds of primary students.
Soon after gaining Independence, the government set up University Education Commission headed by S Radhakrishnan in 1948. The committee had eminent persons -former Allahabad University VC Dr Tara Chand, Aligarh Muslim University VC Zakir Hussain, Madras University VC A Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar, Calcutta University's faculty of science dean Meghnad Saha -and five other eminent persons as members.
In their report, they described universities as the “organs of civilisation“ and said, “A university is a place of higher education where personality and capacities of students are developed to the utmost by teachers who should themselves be at work at the frontiers of knowledge in their respective fields. Our universities should maintain the academic character of their work on a level recognised as adequate by the universities of other countries.Universities are our national institutions, and to keep up our national prestige, our degrees must be such as to command international recognition.“
In 1961, the government set up the D S Kothari Commission, which said, “The function of the university is not only to preserve, disseminate and advance knowledge but also to furnish intellectual leadership and moral tone to society . No less important is the role of universities in promoting national integration and a common culture, and in bringing about the social transformation that is desired. Finally , universities have also to provide trained personnel to advance the country's prosperity by making full use of modern knowledge. The organisational pattern must enable the universities to achieve these objectives.“
Suggestions of the commissions headed by Radhakrishnan and Kothari remained on paper. Most varsities continued to impart education, the way the British once did, to create an intrinsic link between higher education and employment. This subdued even the brilliant among the youth who shunned research for greener pastures.
The Centre and states failed miserably in creating adequate number universities to accommodate a burgeoning population. The private sector grabbed this opportunity to open institutes of higher education to turn teaching into a commercial venture. Engineering and medical colleges started charging astronomical capitation fee for each seat.
Those who could not afford started looking for cheaper options. This led to the birth of deemed universities and degrees distributed through distance learning. Proliferation of deemed universities created a glut of youngsters with advanced degrees and now we read about post-graduates applying for peon jobs.
The mushrooming of deemed universities in Chhattisgarh, soon after the Congress government led by Ajit Jogi brought in a law in 2002 allowing self-financed private universities, pained Prof Yash Pal. He moved the SC in 2004 alleging that government was granting permissions to open universities without even checking infrastructure, faculty strength and financial resources. As many as 112 universities were set up in one year, most functioning from oneroom tenements without any control or supervision of UGC or AICTE. These universities issued degrees like `Member Fellow of International Institute of Medical Sciences' without any classroom, library , campus or faculty .
The BJP government led by Raman Singh engaged senior advocate Ravi Shankar Prasad to defend the previous government's law in the most bizarre fashion -the legislation was passed to attract private capital into higher education as the state did not have enough funds to establish educational institutions and universities. More than bizarre, it is tragic when the state government says it has no funds for setting up educational institutions and allow its youth to be lured by dubiously set up deemed universities which sell questionable degrees for a price.
The SC in Yash Pal vs Chhattisgarh [2005 (5) SCC 420] struck down the state law and said, “What is necessary is actual establishment of institutions having all the infrastructural facilities and qualified teachers to teach there. Only such colleges or institutions which impart quality education allure the best students. Until such institutions are established which provide high level of teaching and facilities like well-equipped libraries and laboratories and a good academic atmosphere, good students wouldn't be attracted. In the current scenario, students are prepared to go to any corner of the country for getting good education. What is necessary is a large number of good colleges and institutions and not universities without any teaching facility but having the authority to confer degrees.If good institutions are established for providing higher education, they can be conferred the status of a deemed university by the central government in accordance with Section 3 of UGC Act or they can be affiliated to the already existing universities. The impugned Act has neither achieved nor is capable of achieving the object sought to be projected by the learned counsel as it enables a proposal alone being notified as a university .“
The UPA government appointed Yash Pal Committee to review functions of UGC and AICTE. The panel, renamed as `Committee to Advise on Renovation and Rejuvenation of Higher Education', in its report in June 2009 said, “Institutions wishing to get deemed university status should demonstrate special capabilities as was originally intended and should be rigorously evaluated to see if they fulfil the holistic and universal concept of universities outlined in the report.“
The malaise of deemed universities dishing out devalued degrees continued and advocate Viplav Sharma questioned this in a PIL in the SC and sought a direction to regulate the sector, infiltrated by powerful businessmen. The UPA government set up another committee headed by P N Tandon, which in its report outlined, yet again, what a university should be, “Universities are meant to be places which facilitate and promote critical intellectual engagement with different traditions of thought and its great variety of expressions; modes of understanding the human condition and predicament; and, the incredible diverse inanimate and non-human living world.“
Now, the SC has cancelled technical degrees through distance education by deemed universities from 2001till 2016. The CBI will probe how such irregular conferment of technical degrees continued without UGC and AICTE nod. But who all will face probe? Officials will surely face the brunt but will the political class or the SC too take its share of blame?
