AICTE Approves Measures to Improve Technical Education Standards

Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Minister of HRD (State) revealed that All India Council for Technical Education has approved various measures that must be implemented by all the technical institutes across the country. The main objective of AICTE is to improve standards in technical education and provide a competent technical workforce for the Make In India campaign.

Following are the various measures implemented by AICTE: -

Training of Teachers: -

All the teachers who are working in AICTE registered technical institutes across the country have to undergo an annual refresher course that is delivered through SWAYAM portal. AICTE aims to improve pedagogical techniques of imparting education with respect to the teachers. Therefore, online courses will be prepared and delivered through SWAYAM portal. Each technical institution will have to make sure that 50% of the teachers take part in the training programme.

Exam Reforms: -

The final examinations that are conducted by various technical institutes must test the understanding of the concepts and skills of students. Rather than focusing on subject knowledge, the institutes must lay emphasis on the importance of technical skills. For this purpose, a model exam format will be prepared and shared with all the technical universities and institutions.

Also read: - AICTE: Action to be Taken Against Technical Institutes that Flout Student-Faculty Ratio

Promoting Innovation/ Start-Ups: -

The technical institutes must focus on improving the innovative and creative level of the students. Various drives with the likes of Hackathon must be promoted in these institutes. It helps the students to come up with innovative ideas, which could be incubated at the startup centres.

Industry Readiness or Industry Fit: -

The technical institutes must play a significant role in imparting various skills to students that include technical skills, team-working skills, communication skills, leadership skills, entrepreneurial skills and managerial skills. The students who pass UG courses at these institutes must be industry fit, in a way.

Also read: - AICTE: Technical Institutes must Follow Mandatory Pay Scales

Internships: -

All the students in technical institutes shall take up three mandatory internship opportunities ranging from 4 to 8 weeks of duration each before the completion of the UG course. Institutes will have to play a significant role in helping the students in finding suitable organisations or industries for the internship.

Revision of Curriculum: -

All the affiliating technical universities will have to constitute subject-wise Industry Consultation Committee (ICC). The committee will examine the existing curriculum and make suitable changes in the curriculum every year. Making changes in the curriculum must be completed latest by the month of December every year. It is mandatory for the institutions to certify the completion of the process while applying for approval.

Induction Training: -

The students who join technical institutes must be given mandatory induction training to make them aware of fundamental concepts and language skills that are required for technical education.

Mandatory Accreditation: -

All the technical institutes must have NBA accreditation by 2022 for at least half of the programmes offered by these institutes. The AICTE approval of the institutes might be reduced if there is no credible progress every year. A separate mechanism will be put into force to assist the institutions in meeting the compulsory or mandatory requirements for applying for accreditation.