Why over 50% seats in engineering colleges are vacant across states

Meanwhile, all seats in the in the 23 colleges of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) have been filed in the current academic session 2019-20

Over fifty per cent seats in engineering colleges across India are vacant. With 80 per cent unoccupied seats, Odisha tops the chart while West Bengal has 60 per cent vacant seats in engineering colleges.
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According to AICTE chairperson Anil Sahasrabudhe, out of the 14 lakh engineering seats available across the country, only 10 lakh students took admission. “A committee, formed last year to draft a plan regarding engineering education, found that the number of seats available outnumbers the demand,” Sahasrabudhe told indianexpress.com.


80% vacant seats: Why few takers for engineering seats in Odisha, WB

There were no takers for around 27,000 seats in the government and private engineering colleges in Odisha this year. Out of the 34,223 seats for students in various engineering colleges, only 20 per cent of them got filled.

Odisha Private Engineering College Association (OPECA) secretary Binod Dash blamed the job markets for this dismal statistics. “The fall in engineering seats is due to a lack of interest among students in pursuing B.Tech courses as there are fewer jobs available in the field. “In the last five years, only 30 per cent students got placement,” Dash said.

However, a professor from the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology criticised the curriculum and education pattern of the Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT). “The curriculum followed by the BPUT is quite outdated and students, after clearing their Bachelors, failed to get jobs in their desired sectors,” said the professor on the condition of anonymity.

In West Bengal, over 60 per cent of the engineering seats remained vacant this year as only 10,525 students took admission in engineering courses.



There are over 32,700 seats on offer in various engineering colleges in West Bengal. This year, a total of 22,175 seats remain vacant, as compared to 16,000 last year, according to the registrar office of WBJEEB.

“The middle-rung engineering colleges had hardly any takers this year. Over 18,000 seats went vacant in private engineering colleges, which is a 30 per cent more than last year’s 13,375,” said a WBJEEB official.

According to Chiranjib Bhattacharjee, head of the engineering department, Jadavpur University, 261 seats remained vacant. “Several candidates, who had locked the seats during the counselling process, did not turn up for admission,” explained Bhattacharjee.

Among all courses in Jadavpur University, maximum seats remain vacant in mechanical engineering at 29, followed by civil engineering at 28. According to data available on the varsity’s website, 13 seats are vacant in the architecture course, chemical engineering – 21, computer science and engineering – 16, construction engineering – 16, electrical engineering – 27, electronic and telecommunication engineering – 11, food tech and biochemical engineering – 8, information technology – 22, instrumentation and electronics – 14, metallurgical engineering – 7, pharmacy – 12, power engineering – 13, printing engineering – 10, production engineering – 14.

Meanwhile, all seats in 23 colleges of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) have been filed in the current academic session 2019-20. There are 13,604 undergraduate seats at the IITs.

In 2018, 118 seats at IITs had found no takers while 110 seats remained vacant in 2017, 96 seats in 2016, 32 seats in 2015, three seats in 2014 and 149 seats in 2013.

Over 50% seats in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra go vacant

Over 70,000 qualified candidates opted to skip admission in Andhra Pradesh colleges. Around 60,000 candidates took admission in various Engineering colleges this year out of the 1.32 lakh candidates who had qualified EAMCET (Engineering, Agriculture and Medical Common Entrance Test) this year. Similarly, 52 per cent seats of engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu remained vacant.

In Kerala, a total of 50 per cent engineering seats remained vacant though the total number of private colleges affiliated to the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University reduced to 147 from 152 in the 2017-18 academic year. This year, 24,451 seats out of the total 49,571 seats remained unoccupied.
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The admission process for the Bachelor of Engineering (BE) closed this year in Maharashtra, with 50 per cent of the admission. There are no takers for 24,344 seats in Mechanical Engineering, and 14,002 seats in Civil Engineering, as per the data shared.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/education/engineering-day-over-50-seats-in-engineering-colleges-across-states-went-vacant-know-why-aicte-india-org-wbjeeb-nic-in-5993630/ (Accessed on September 16, 2019)

Mandatory certification for engg faculty soon, says AICTE chairman

He was speaking at a national conference on innovation in higher education, conducted by Education Promotion Society for India (EPSI), here on Saturday.

Published: 15th September 2019 04:46 AM | Last Updated: 15th September 2019 04:46 AM | A+A A-



AICTE chairman Anil Sahasrabudhe and governor Banwarilal Purohit at conference on Saturday | R Satish Babu
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: All engineering faculty and aspirants may soon have to undergo a mandatory eight-module teacher certification programme, said Anil Sahasrabudhe, the chairman of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). He was speaking at a national conference on innovation in higher education, conducted by Education Promotion Society for India (EPSI), here on Saturday.

The modules include passion for teaching, creating new curriculum, using Information and Communication Technology, classroom interaction with students, examination methodology, honing innovation and creativity, and administrative and leadership training, among others, he said.

“For teaching in a school, you currently need to have teachers’ training. Whereas, higher education faculty just needs a Ph.D. They do not have any pedagogical training,” he said, adding that many technical educators lack the ability to train students efficiently.

The certification will also include an industrial training to help teachers understand the industrial skill demands. “Teachers will have to spend time at an industry, the way students do an internship. After this, they must implement all their learning for a semester at a college to get their certificate,” said Sahasrabudhe.

Further, the certificate will be mandatory for existing faculty as well as to apply for promotion, he said.
Sahasrabudhe announced that the Ministry of Human Resource Development will soon launch a B.Tech programme on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science. He encouraged other universities to include courses like AI, Data Science, Internet of Things and Block Chain among others into the existing curriculum.

He said that all universities should revise their curriculum every year, to suit the real world needs. “The revision should be continuous and meaningful. We cannot be outdated in a world rapidly transforming everyday.”

Source: http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2019/sep/15/mandatory-certification-for-engg-faculty-soon-says-aicte-chairman-2033880.html (Accessed on September 16, 2019)

Bill to merge AICTE, UGC in final stages

The HRD ministry’s five-year Education Quality Upgradation and Inclusion Programme (EQUIP), which was released in June, called for the need to set up a Higher Education Commission of India (HECI).

The official however, refused to share more details about the elements of the bill.(HT image)

A bill that aims to merge the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to create a single regulator for higher education in the country is in the final stages of preparation and likely to come up before the cabinet next month, according to an official aware of the development.

Till now, the UGC regulated the functioning, accreditation and also fund disbursal to 40 central varsities while the AICTE played a similar role for technical institutions. The government has been considering setting up a single regulatory body that would focus on imparting quality education and learning outcomes. The function of fund disbursal would not be a role for such a body.

“The India Higher Education Commission Bill to replace the UGC and the AICTE has been prepared in consultation with the states. The ministry plans to take it to the cabinet next month,” the official said on condition of anonymity. The official added that the bill is in its final stages.

The official however, refused to share more details about the elements of the bill.

The HRD ministry’s five-year Education Quality Upgradation and Inclusion Programme (EQUIP), which was released in June, called for the need to set up a Higher Education Commission of India (HECI).

The plan envisaged the HECI as a regulatory body to promote the quality and standards of education by merging the UGC and AICTE.

According to the suggestion of the EQUIP report, the HECI will primarily focus on academic and quality matters related to ensuring learning outcomes, mentoring of institutions, training of teachers and administrators. It would also seek to promote education through Information and Communication Technology (ICT) initiatives.

According to the EQUIP report, which HRD officials terms as their five-year implementation plan, the HECI will grant autonomy to best performing higher educational institutions and award them powers to confer degrees.

The disbursal of funds that the UGC presently undertakes will be kept separate from the commission, according to the EQUIP report. “Disbursal of the funds shall be done through an SPV [Special Purpose Vehicle]. The HECI shall provide for comprehensive and holistic growth of higher education and research in a competitive global environment,” the report said.

A bill seeking the formation of a National Research Foundation (NRF) is also ready and expected to be placed before the Union cabinet for approval.

In her budget speech in July, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed to the formation of the NRF to fund, promote and coordinate research in the country. “The NRF will assimilate the research grants being given by various ministries independent of each other,” she had said.

“The need to create an umbrella body for the higher education sector has been felt for a long time. However, what kind of relations it has with other bodies including varsities and institutions would define its success. Its role vis-à-vis all other bodies will have to be carefully defined,” said former UGC member Prof Inder Mohan Kapahy.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/bill-to-merge-aicte-ugc-in-final-stages/story-30Q8YPFcgzLBq4OoUQgTsK.html

Engineering colleges need to reinvent to be relevant

Engineering colleges need to reinvent to be relevant


Read more at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/70839936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst (Accessed on August 27, 2019)

The top Indian colleges and organisations for internships, awarded by AICTE

Online learning platform Internshala together with All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) organized a national event, on Sunday to celebrate Internship Day 2019 .

The initiative was to honor the colleges and organizations with the best boarding culture.

The top three organizations include the Times Internet, Out of the Box Solutions and today's Kalam Foundation, a voluntary organization working to reform education.

According to Internshala, over 15,000 students received boarding opportunities in the last four months.

Read more at:
https://www.businessinsider.in/the-top-indian-colleges-and-organisations-for-internships-awarded-by-aicte/articleshow/70834885.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst (Accessed on August 26, 2019

After engineering, no new pharmacy colleges until ’22

After banning new engineering colleges, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has placed a two-year ban on new pharmacy colleges, until 2022. This is because the AICTE as well as the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), a statutory body under the Central government which regulates pharmacy education and practices, believe that many colleges performed poorly at academics and there were not enough jobs for pharmacy graduates to justify the boom in the number of colleges.

The decision to not allow more pharmacy colleges was taken at a meeting held in Delhi on Wednesday, barely a month after the PCI proposed a five-year freeze on colleges offering diploma and degree courses. In January this year, the AICTE decided to not permit new engineering colleges from the academic year 2020-21.

According to AICTE, the intake capacity of pharmacy institutes across India has gone up by 49.5% in the last three years, and this year alone, the capacity increased by 28.1%. From 1,809 diploma and graduate pharmacy institutes that existed in the country 2017-18, the number grew to 3,276 in 2019-20.

“Just like the engineering sector witnessed a sudden expansion a few years ago, the pharmacy sector seems to be witnessing a similar trend for the past three years. However, the passing percentage, as well as the number of students finding jobs after graduation, has not looked good,” said Anil D Sahasrabudhe, chairman, AICTE. He added that the council will first focus on bringing quality into the existing institutes and improving existing facilities before allowing new colleges.

For the current academic year, AICTE had received around 900 applications for starting new pharmacy colleges, of which 565 applications are from Uttar Pradesh (UP). The second-highest number of applications came from Maharashtra, which had around 480 pharmacy institutes offering diploma, undergraduate and post-graduate courses in 2018-19. For the current academic year, 81 new institutes have been approved to start admissions.

While pharmacy institutes are confident about attracting more students to their colleges, experts are concerned over the rate at which these institutes are cropping up. “These colleges, especially the ones in rural parts, are witnessing growing seat vacancies year after year. The situation is worrisome because jobs in the sector are not growing at the same rate as the colleges and very soon, these institutes might face a situation like engineering colleges did a few years ago,” said another official from AICTE.

Source: Hindustan Times (Mumbai) dated August 23, 2019

AICTE nod to special body for edu rankings

The Union Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry is considering setting up a specialised body, India Rankings Society, to rank Indian education institutions and help them improve in areas where they are found lagging.

The All India Council of Technical Education approved this in a meeting on Wednesday.

In 2015, the HRD ministry launched the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) to address the need for an authentic ranking mechanism for educational institutions.

In the absence of a specialized body, the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) was given the task. “Although the NBA has done a commendable job, it was assigned this task in addition to its already defined job of accreditation. Secondly, it is envisaged that the specialized rankings society will also guide institutions to perform better on the parameters on which they are found lagging,”a senior HRD official said on condition of anonymity.

The plan is to have universities, engineering, medical, pharmacy, and law colleges, and business schools ranked by the new body.


Significantly, the Modi government has focused extensively on improving the global ranking of Indian institutions. In its first term it launched an Institutions of Eminence programme aimed at increasing the number of Indian educational institutions in global rankings.

“The AICTE in its meeting today has given its in-principle nod to the proposal to set up the India Ranking Society,” said Anil D Sahasrabudhe, chairman of the AICTE.

In 2017, the HRD ministry set up the National Testing Agency as a premier, specialist, autonomous and self-sustained testing organization to conduct entrance examinations in higher educational institutions.

According to the HRD official cited above, the ministry may follow the IIM model in setting up the national rankings body.

In another decision, AICTE said it would not allow the opening of more pharmacy colleges in the next two years.

Source: Hindustan Times (Mumbai) dated August 22, 2019

Call to include on-trend topics

AICTE has identified nine areas — artificial intelligence, internet of things, machine learning, data science, robotics — for inclusion in BTech programmes

Artificial intelligence, robotics and data science should be included in BTech programmes to draw students to conventional courses, the vice-chairman of the technical education regulator said.

“An engineering institute can mention in the certificate that the student has graduated in mechanical engineering with specialisation in artificial intelligence or robotics. The institutes should offer the new topics as electives,” M.P. Poonia, the vice-chairman of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), said on the sidelines of a conclave on “Impact of disruptive technologies on higher education” on Saturday.

Asked about the increase in number of vacant seats over the past couple of years, Poonia said colleges must revamp their curriculum in keeping with the demands of the job market.

“A student takes admission to a private college paying a huge sum. He hopes to get a job. But the students are remaining unemployed because of programmes that do not include topics potential recruiters are looking for,” Poonia said.

AICTE has identified nine areas — artificial intelligence, Internet of things, machine learning, data science, robotics — for inclusion in BTech programmes.

“This is the requirement of the industry. These days disciplines such as mechanical engineering and electrical engineering cannot be taught without artificial intelligence, machine learning or robotics. So I would advise colleges to make their curriculum industry-ready. They should get teachers who are competent to teach the advanced topics,” Poonia said.

Source: https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/call-to-include-on-trend-topics/cid/1699154 (Accessed on August 21, 2019)

sOURCE: 

Now, there is a price for engineering internships in Bengaluru

Many have alleged that college managements are asking students to cough up a ‘fee’ for getting internships in companies.

The All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) made internships mandatory recently. While students have welcomed the move, many have alleged that college managements are asking them to cough up a ‘fee’ for getting internships in companies.

To read the full article, please visit:

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/now-there-is-a-price-for-engineering-internships/article29164418.ece (Accessed on August 20, 2019)

Laboratories in engineering colleges, technical institutions in rural areas to get makeover: AICTE

New Delhi, Aug 11 Laboratories in engineering colleges and other technical institutions operational in rural areas are all set to get a makeover, with the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) deciding to providing grants to institutions for procuring modern equipment.

The technical education regulator under the HRD Ministry will be providing grants under the Modernisation and Removal of Obsolescence (MODROBS) scheme.

"A special drive is being undertaken by AICTE under MODROB scheme for modernising laboratories in technical institutions operating in rural areas and approved by AICTE by providing grants for procuring modern equipments. The institutions can apply under the scheme till August 28," a senior AICTE official said.

The MODROB scheme aims to modernise and remove obsolescence in laboratories, workshops, computing facilities excluding libraries, so as to enhance the functional efficiency of technical institutions for teaching, training and research purpose.

"It also supports new innovations in class room and laboratory, teaching technology, development of lab instructional material and appropriate technology to ensure that practical work and project work to be carried out by students is contemporary and suited to the needs of the industry.

"The equipment financed under the scheme could be ideally used for up-gradation of equipment in existing laboratories, enhancement of performance parameter specification of existing equipment, incorporation of latest development in the field and replacement of old depreciated equipment by modern equipment," the official said.

The equipment installed through MODROBS can also be used for indirect benefit to faculty or students through continuing education programmes, training programmes for local industry and consultancy work.

Only institutions that have been in existence for at least 10 years can apply for the scheme and get funding up to Rs 20 lakh. Duration of the project will be two years from the date of receipt of funds in the institute''s account.

"100 per cent grant of sanctioned amount will be released to government and government aided institutes. To private institutions, grants will be sanctioned in the form of per cent of the sanctioned amount as advance followed by 20 per cent as reimbursement on submission of the utilisation certificate and other supporting documents as specified in terms and conditions of MODROB," the official said. GJS GJS DV DV

Source: https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/laboratories-in-engineering-colleges-technical-institutions-in-rural-areas-to-get-makeover-aicte/1594754 (Accessed on August 16, 2019)

AICTE-CII survey to help academia, industry

HIGHLIGHTS:
The ongoing final and full survey of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for 2019 has shortlisted more than 50 technical, management and pharmacy institutions from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

To read the full article, please visit:
https://www.thehansindia.com/telangana/aicte-cii-survey-to-help-academia-industry-554427

Engineering graduates must give back to safety

90 hours of socially relevant activities will be reflected in 8th sem.

To read the full article, please visit:
https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/others/engineering-graduates-must-give-back-to-society/articleshow/70516921.cms (Accessed on August 6, 2019)

AICTE revamps student redressal regulations to deal with more plaints

In view of increasing complaints from students over withholding of certificates by technical institutions, demanding excess fee, failure to provide amenities etc.,All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) issued revised draft (redressal of grievance of students) regulations, 2019.

The fresh regulations will supersede those issued in 2012 and mandates technical institutions to publish prospectus, establish student grievance redressal committee and appoint an ombudsman who will be a retired district judge or a retired vice-chancellor/professor with 10 years of experience.

Giving greater emphasis to the prospectus, the AICTE has notified that all technical institutions will not only have to mention the list of courses and seat intake but also tuition fee and refund details.

In the prospectus, all institutions will have to mandatorily mention each component of the fee, deposits and other charges payable by the student seeking admission. “The percentage of tuition fee and other charges refundable to a student admitted to such an institution in case such student withdraws from such institution before or after completion of course or programme of study and the time within and the manner in which such refund shall be made to that student,” read the draft.

Technical institutions also have to establish a student grievance redressal committee that will be headed by principal of the college as the chairman apart from an ombudsman. Following the notification, all technical institutions have to launch an online portal where any aggrieved student may submit an application seeking redressal of grievance in the next three months. The draft, which was published on AICTE’s official website, is open for suggestions till August 20, 2019.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/aicte-revamps-student-redressal-regulations-to-deal-with-more-plaints/articleshow/70424559.cms (Accessed on July 29, 2019)

India Innovation Challenge Design Contest to be broad-based to reach remote corners of the country

NEW DELHI, JULY 24: India Innovation Challenge Design Contest (IICDC), a national design contest for engineering students should be accessible to students even in remote corners of the country. To ensure that Texas Instruments India (TI India), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the statutory body and a national-level council for technical education in India, Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) have come together. The motive is to help strengthen the innovation ecosystem, enhance skills and drive a start-up culture amongst engineering students.

The announcement was made at the finals of IICDC 2018, coinciding with the announcement of this year’s top 10 winning teams.

Congratulating the IICDC 2018 winners, Sanjay Srivastava, Director, TI India University Program said, “IICDC’s vision is to give students an opportunity to be innovators and entrepreneurs. Several ideas focus on agriculture – a segment widely deprived of technology advances. Interestingly, more than 90% of participation comes from Tier II and Tier III towns. That’s the kind of grassroots innovation we want to drive through IICDC.”

The 10 finalists will get an opportunity to take their start-up idea from the lab to the market, supported by a fund from DST of INR 4.94 Crore, incubation at NSRCEL, the innovation and entrepreneurship hub at IIM Bangalore, and technical mentorship from TI engineers along with access to TI tools and technology. To-date, IICDC has incubated 20 start-ups.

SRM Institute of Science and Technology from Tamil Nadu won the Chairman Award for Technical Innovation on ‘Inkless Printing Technology’. A. P. Shah Institute of Technology from Maharashtra was the first runners up for their innovation ‘Solar Energy Harvesting for Wireless Sensor Node’ and Sri Manakula Vinayagar Engineering College from Puducherry was adjudged second runners up awardon their innovation ‘Mustard Seed Processor Machine’.

Elaborating on the partnership with IICDC, Prof. Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, AICTE, said, “Our message to the student community is simple - no matter which college you study in or which pin code you reside in, if you have a powerful idea and a drive to make a difference, IICDC will give you an opportunity to achieve your goal.”

The last three editions of IICDC saw students file over 150 patents, and the numbers are increasing every year. Dr. Anita Gupta, Associate Head, DST, said, “We continue to partner with IICDC because it is a unique, powerful platform to drive student-led, tech-focused innovation. Our seed funding to the winning teams aims to bring the best of these ideas to life.”

Professor Venkatesh Panchapagesan, Chair, NSRCEL at IIMB, “At NSRCEL, IIMB’s innovation and entrepreneurial centre, we have successfully incubated around 50 students to help shape their entrepreneurial ideas into start-ups”.

By forging partnerships with multiple stakeholders with far-reaching influence in technical education, expertise in business and management, industry knowhow, IICDC aims to foster an innovation and entrepreneurial culture amongst engineering students in India and to empower them to launch successful companies with a clear purpose to make the world a better place.

Source: 

https://news.careers360.com/india-innovation-challenge-design-contest-be-broad-based-reach-remote-corners-of-country (Accessed on July 25, 2019)

AICTE decision to stop low employment potential disciplines evokes mixed response

 A decision of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to not allow new conventional disciplines with low employment potential from the academic year 2020-21 had evoked mixed response. While officials of the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) of Chhattisgarh Government were of the view that the decision would clean the ‘garbage’ of private engineering colleges, Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekananda Technical University (CSVTU), Bhilai, said the colleges are independent to choose their disciplines. CSVTU Vice-Chancellor Dr M K Verma made it clear that the colleges are in a better position to judge as to which disciplines should be taught to their students.

 

“The private engineering colleges work on ground level and conduct independent survey to know the market trends before introducing any branches in their respective colleges. CSVTU grants No Objection Certificate (NOC) to the disciplines the colleges apply for. However, the NOC is given on the basis of laboratory and faculty arrangements,” said Dr Verma. Dr Verma further said that the technical university AICTE was yet to issue circulars of its decision.

 

Dr Verma, however, said that the engineering colleges would have to follow the instructions of AICTE provided the decision is made mandatory for the colleges. On the other hand, a DTE official, who did not want to be named, said that the decision of AICTE, if comes into effect, would help in closing the disciplines failing to attract students in the private engineering colleges. The official said that it is very early to say anything unless the department receives any official letter from the AICTE.

 

The official said that still nearly 10,000 employment potential disciplines evokes mixed reponse engineering seats of private colleges lying vacant even after the completion the third phase PET counselling. Only spot admission remains to go, he said. It is to be mentioned, the AICTE said to have decided to permit only emerging fields such as Artificial Intelligence and Block Chain, Internet of Things (IoT), Robotics, Quantum Computing, Data Sciences, Cyber Security, and 3D Printing and Design. In a bid to bridge the gap between industry requirements and courses imparted at engineering institutes, the AICTE has initiated several steps, including this one.

Source: https://www.thehitavada.com/Encyc/2019/7/24/AICTE-decision-to-stop-low-employment-potential-disciplines-evokes-mixed-reponse.html (Accessed on July 25, 2019)

AICTE to introduce students feedback-based assessment for the promotion of Engineering teachers

Besides research work and their overall performance, teachers in Engineering colleges will now be appraised on the basis of students' evaluation All India Council of Technical Education's (AICTE) decision to include the students' feedback to assess the teachers has been introduced to improve the educational quality of engineering colleges. But, its effectiveness remains to be seen. "Since students' feedback will be considered while granting promotion to the teachers, they will have to put their best foot forward in the classroom. This assessment pattern is followed by the IITs and NITs," says AICTE chairman Anil Sahasrabudhe.

As per the rule, students' feedback will have 25% weightage in the overall assessment of the faculty, which will be a decisive component for their promotions. Till now, the focus for promoting teachers in colleges has been on the number of research papers published by the faculty members. This was partly the reason for the publication of substandard research papers in fake journals. "Colleges in tier II and III cities, may not have the resources to conduct research. But research publications being given high priority during promotions often leads to the problem of paid journals. The new assessment will thus award good teachers," adds Sahasrabudhe. While some academicians are positive about the impact of this assessment system, others are of the view that students might not be honest with their feedbacks owing to various reasons. "Students are sometimes not objective or may be simply confused while giving feedback for teachers. Their opinions are based on peer thinking. While interacting with the students, I have come across several students who behave differently in class and during one-on-one interactions," says Govinda K, professor, School of Computer Science and Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT). Addressing the concern, Sahasrabudhe says that the number of such students is mostly low, thus the overall score of a teacher who is good at his work is not hampered. "Some students may give poor feedback, probably because the teacher is strict or is not lenient with marks, but this is temporary. In the long run, a teacher who is passionate about teaching and thinks about students' welfare will always be valued by the majority. Also, such an assessment will also ensure better student-teacher communication," he says. This system will allow the teachers to address their weaknesses and improve teaching methods, says KK Mahapatra, dean, Academics at NIT, Rourkela. "Since students are the direct beneficiaries, this will help the teachers to analyse their skills, for instance, maybe there is an issue with communication or students might be finding the teaching method complicated," says Mahapatra.

Source: The Times of India dated 25 March, 2019

Technical institute to be ranked on number of startups created

All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has announced some amendments in the existing rules for technical education in India. This is likely to rectify the curriculum, faculty roles and research programmes in technical institutes across the country.

RESEARCH FUNDS

Technical institutes affiliated to AICTE will now have to allocate separate budget for research activities. The notification states that, “We as a nation have been performing fairly well in terms of research; however, most of the contribution is from some elite institutions like IITs, NITs, IISc, IISERs whereas there is lot of potential at the bottom of the pyramid. Allocation of research fund will inspire faculty and students from affiliated colleges, autonomous institutes and state universities to contribute towards research and innovation. This will improve employability potential, more job creation and strengthen the startup ecosystem,” said Anil D Sahasrabudhe, chairman, AICTE.

PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT

At the moment, all the institutions are ranked on the basis of their academic performance and students’ achievement. But, with AICTE’s new rules, technical institutes might soon be ranked as per the number of startups created.

Confirming the news, Sahasrabudhe said, “MHRD innovation cell at AICTE has already initiated AARIA ranking, where focus is on innovation, entrepreneurship and startups. In future, institutes will be recognised by the number of innovative products and number of startups setup annually by an institute rather than mere placement records.”

TEACHER TRAINING

To strengthen the industry-academia synchronisation, AICTE has partnered with a number of organisations to provide industrial training to the teachers.

All the teachers appointed will also have to mandatorily undergo eight online modules of MOOCs on SWAYAM portal as per the AICTE teacher training policy, preferably within the first year of their service. “The aim behind such a programme is to create passion in the field of teaching and profession. The offline courses will also be available in National Institutes of Technical Teachers Training and Research (NITTTRs) and few select universities,” added Sahasrabudhe.

Source: The Times of India dated 11 March, 2019

10 percent EWS quota to be implemented in colleges and universities in the academic year 2019-20 itself- Shri Prakash Javadekar

Benefits of 7th CPC to be extended to teachers and other academic staff of State Govt. / Govt. aided degree level technical institutions in the country- HRD Minister

Union HRD Minister, Shri Prakash Javadekar while addressing a press conference in New Delhi today, informed that in a landmark decision, the Government  has decided that from the academic year 2019-20 itself, 10 percent Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota will be implemented across 40, 000 colleges and 900 Universities in the country. This 10 percent quota for EWS will be over and above the existing quotas for SCs, STs and OBCs and General seats.

Adequate additional seats will be created in these colleges and universities to implement the quota for EWS. The UGC and AICTE will be provided the operational mandate within a week to implement the quota.

In another major announcement, Shri Javadekar informed that the Government has approved proposal to extend the 7^th CPC to the teachers and other academic staff of the State Govt. / Govt. aided degree level technical institutions in the country, which will have additional Central Government  liability of Rs.1241.78 crore.  

He said that the Central Government will reimburse 50% of the total additional expenditure (from 1.1.2016 to 31.3.2019) to be incurred by these institutes for payment of arrears on account of 7^th CPC implementation.

This will directly benefit a total of 29,264 teachers and other academic staff of State Government funded institutes. Besides, about 3.5 lakh teachers and other academic staff of private colleges/ institutions within the purview of AICTE will also benefit from the approval given today, he added.

The Minister said that the implementation of pay commission recommendation in State Government Aided / funded AICTE approved technical institutes will help them in attracting and retaining the faculty of high academic standards.

Source: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=187513 (Accessed on January 16, 2018)

Tech courses: Fewer seats for direct admission to second year

To reduce vacancies, AICTE cuts excess seat quota for 2019-20 by half

Getting direct admission to the second year of technical courses is set to get tougher in 2019-20, as the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has cut the intake capacity for lateral admissions to half, in a bid to reduce the vacancies.

Lateral entry allows engineering and pharmacy diploma holders and those with BSc (Information Technology) and Bachelor of Computer Administration (BCA) degrees to be admitted directly to the second year of a technical course. Those who have passed Class 12 examination or completed a vocational course from an Industrial Training Institute (ITI), too, can be admitted to the second year of diploma courses. These students are accommodated in the supernumerary (excess) quota created for them or given seats left vacant during the first-year admissions.

So far, technical colleges could laterally admit up to 20% more students than the number of seats allotted to it, and move them to the supernumerary quota.

Maharashtra’s lateral admissions in 2018-19 stood at 52,826 for engineering degree and 35,669 for diploma courses.

According to AICTE’s approval process handbook for the upcoming academic year, the number of supernumerary seats in an institute will now be capped to 10% of the actual intake. “Usually, around 50% of the seats in the first year of engineering colleges remain vacant across the country. Diploma students seek lateral entry to these seats, so there is no need for additional seats,” said Anil Sahasrabudhe, chairman, AICTE.

Reducing the supernumerary seats, instead of doing away with the excess seats altogether is the regulator’s way to balance the aspirations of students and colleges, said experts.

“Many colleges with large vacancies have been requesting us to do away with the supernumerary seats, to get some students who otherwise look to get absorbed in popular colleges. Excess seats also affect the quality of education. Reducing the intake will ensure bright diploma holders get accommodated in good institutes,” said Sahasrabudhe.

Gopakumaran Thampi, principal, Thadomal Shahani Engineering College, Bandra, said, “With fewer seats available in degree programmes, diploma holders will be forced to seek employment, instead of pursuing higher education, while others may look to get enrolled in the first year of the course. AICTE should have retained 20% excess seats as it was not affecting the quality.”

 Source: Hindustan Times dated January 16, 2019

https://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/tech-courses-fewer-seats-for-direct-admission-to-second-year/story-ZPw9rPfi2MSLvGIyNwjduO.html

AICTE to power desi FB for tech students

AICTE to power desi FB for tech students
Himanshi Dhawan TNN

New Delhi: It’s our desi facebook. All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and Microsoft have collaborated to host acommunication service that offers e-mail, instant messaging, Microsoft Office web apps, and 0GB inbox for 7.5 million engineering students and 5 lakh faculty members spread over 10,000 technical institutes across the country.
Live@edu — to be up and running in the next three months — will use cloud deployment to expand students’ access to highquality technical education. This will allow students to interact and share content both for work and social networking, and even initiate collaborative research projects.
HRD minister Kapil Sibal said, “This is an era of collaboration and we hope to empower 7.5 million students and 5 lakh teachers. It is the first project of its kind.’’ Live@edu will be a social networking site linked to its portal, allowing engineering students to interact with each other about their projects. It will also provide a communication and collaboration platform for both institutes and students.

Source: The Times of India dated 13/04/2012