All-India Council for Technical Education Act,1987
Act No : 52
Section : PRELIMINARY
ALL INDIA COUNCIL FOR TECHNICAL EDUCATION ACT, 1987
52 of 1987
STATEMENT OF OBJECTS AND REASONS The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) was set up in 1945 by a Government resolution as a National Expert body to advice the Central and the State Governments for ensuring the co-ordinated development of technical education in accordance with approved standards. During the first three decades the Council functioned quite effectively and there was phenomenal development of technical education in this period. However, in recent years, a large number of private engineering colleges and polytechnics have come up in complete disregard of the guidelines, laid down by the AICTE. Most of these institutions have serious deficiencies in terms of even the rudimentary infrastructure necessary for imparting proper education and training. Barring some exceptions, there is scant regard for maintenance of educational standards.
2. Taking into account the growing erosion of standards, the Council at its meeting held in 1981 came to the conclusion that a stage had been reached when it should be vested with statutory powers to regulate and maintain standards of technical education in the country. In pursuance of these and other recommendations, a National Working Group was set up in November, 1985 to look into the role of the AICTE. The National Working Group recommended that in order to enable the AICTE to play its role effectively, it shall have to be vested with necessary statutory authority. The National Policy on Education, 1986, also stipulated that the AICTE will be vested with statutory authority for planning, formulation and the maintenance of norms and standards, accreditation, funding of priority areas, monitoring and evaluation, maintaining parity of certificates and awards and ensuring the co-ordinated and integrated development of technical and management education.
3. The Bill seeks to provide statutory powers to the All India Council for Technical Education to ensure:
(i) proper planning and co-ordinated development of the technical education system throughout the country;
(ii) promotion of qualitative improvement of technical education in relation of planned quantitative growth, and
(iii) regulation of the system and proper maintenance of norms and standards. Accordingly, the powers and functions assigned to the AICTE, inter alia, provide laying down norms and standards for programmes and institutions, giving approval for setting up of technical institutions, prescribing guidelines for admission of students and the charging of fees, and inspecting and evaluating institutions periodically with a view to maintaining standards and to provide recognition or withhold recognition of programmes and institutions. As part of this overall co-ordination and development responsibilities, the AICTE will also give grants to institutions for identified developmental purposes. In addition, the AICTE will promote innovation, research and development, linkages with industry and greater access to technical education by women, handicapped, and the weaker sections of the society.
4. The Bill seeks to achieve the above objective. - S.O.R. - Gaz. of Ind., 31-8- 1987, Pt. II, S. 2, Ext" p. 71 (No. 45).
An Act to provide for the establishment of an All India Council for Technical Education with a view to the proper planning and co-ordinated development of the technical education system throughout the country, the promotion of qualitative improvements of such education in relation to planned quantitative growth and the regulation and proper maintenance of norms and standards in the technical education system and for matters connected therewith. BE it enacted by Parliament in the Thirty-eighth Year of the Republic of India as follows:-
CHAPTER 01: PRELIMINARY
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