In a restructuring of educational programmes, undergraduate courses in business education and computer applications are set to fall under the jurisdiction of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). Furthermore, this year is expected to witness the graduation of 1.2 million engineers in the country, putting India on track to surpass China.
TG Sitharam, Chairman of AICTE said while addressing a gathering of business school deans from across the nation, highlighting the changing educational landscape, the rapid pace and scale of research and innovation, and their potential to significantly contribute to the nation’s growth, the Times of India reported. He conveyed confidence to the audience that with unified zeal and efforts from all stakeholders, India could become the world’s third-largest economy in three years, rather than five.
Sitharam said that undergraduate education courses such as BBM, BBA, and as well as computer applications will be brought into the AICTE fold. “It is in the approval process handbook this year which will be out next month,” he said. At present, these programmes fall within the University Grants Commission’s domain and are provided by various state universities and a selection of business schools.
However, Sitharam did not clarify whether these programmes would be fully regulated by AICTE or if it would primarily govern B-schools offering these undergraduate courses.
As per the National Education Policy (NEP), it envisions the presence of three types of institutions by 2030: multidisciplinary universities, autonomous degree-granting colleges, or institutions that are part of higher education clusters. For standalone business schools, there are significant challenges ahead, requiring an increase in student intake to 3,000 from the current smaller numbers.
In a white paper submitted to Sitharam, business schools proposed that they should be recognised as distinct institutions and granted the ability to offer undergraduate programs. They also suggested expanding through multiple campuses, enhancing executive education, and utilizing digital delivery methods to achieve the desired scale.
AICTE is committed to taking the necessary steps to ensure the successful implementation of the NEP, Sitharam affirmed. He emphasised that the NEP serves as an agenda for a transformative era, describing it as the “Amrit Kaal.” Sitharam pointed out that around 1.2 million engineers will be graduating from AICTE-affiliated colleges this year making it the largest in the world beating China. He labeled this period as a “golden time for Indian engineers and scientists.”
However, there has been no official notification by the AICTE. It is expected to release the guidelines on its official website soon.
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