Published by: Sukanya Nandy
Last updated: Oct 16, 2023 5:02 PM IST
Sitharam said around 1.2 million engineers will graduate from AICTE affiliated colleges this year (representative image)
Undergraduate courses in business education and computer applications will come under the jurisdiction of the AICTE, TG Sitharam said
Under a restructuring of education programmes, bachelor’s degrees in business education and computer applications will come under the jurisdiction of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). Moreover, the country is expected to graduate 1.2 million engineers this year, putting India on track to surpass China.
TG Sitharam, Chairman, AICTE, while addressing a gathering of business school deans from across the country, said, highlighting the changing educational landscape, the rapid pace and scale of research and innovation and their potential to contribute significantly to growth of the country highlighted, the Times of India reported. He conveyed confidence to the audience that with united zeal and efforts from all stakeholders, India could become the world’s third largest economy from five within three years.
Sitharam said that undergraduate education courses such as BBM, BBA and computer applications will be brought into the AICTE fold. “It’s in this year’s approval process manual, which will be out next month,” he said. Currently, these programs fall within the purview of the University Grants Commission and are offered by several state universities and a selection of business schools.
However, Sitharam did not clarify whether these programs would be fully regulated by AICTE or whether it would primarily apply to B-schools offering these undergraduate courses.
According to the National Education Policy (NEP), it envisages the presence of three types of institutions by 2030: multidisciplinary universities, autonomous degree-granting colleges, or institutions that are part of higher education clusters. Significant challenges lie ahead for standalone business schools, requiring an increase in student intake from the current smaller number to 3,000.
In a white paper submitted to Sitharam, business schools proposed to be recognized as separate institutions and given the option to offer undergraduate courses. They also suggested expanding through multiple campuses, improving manager training and using digital delivery methods to achieve the desired scale.
AICTE is committed to taking necessary steps to ensure successful implementation of the NEP, Sitharam affirmed. He emphasized that the NEP serves as an agenda for a transformative era and described it as the ‘Amrit Kaal’. Sitharam pointed out that around 1.2 million engineers will graduate from AICTE affiliated colleges this year, making it the largest in the world beating China. He termed this period as a ‘golden age for Indian engineers and scientists’.
However, there has been no official notification by the AICTE. The guidelines are expected to be published on the official website soon.