Time may be running out for unauthorised technical institutes as well universities claiming to offer degrees. These institutes have been flourishing and so far ignored several warnings from government bodies to get their courses officially approved.
Government sources told Moneycontrol that these illegal institutes would be given a 6-8 month deadline to get the approval, failing which they will have to close shop.
According to sources in the education field, almost 1000 institutions across arts, hotel management, engineering, architecture and management do not have necessary permissions to issue degrees.
Despite blacklists released by bodies like All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), students enroll in large numbers, either unaware of the situation or because of misrepresentation of facts by the institutes.
Sources told Moneycontrol that the government through the department of higher education will be preparing a final list of the unapproved institutions. Post this, communication will be sent to the respective institutes.
“The institutes could be given 6-8 months to comply with the rules. If not, they will prohibited from admitting students and public notices may also be released to ensure compliance,” another source added.
Many of these illegal institutes will have to eventually close down because they are unlikely to fulfill the criteria for government approval.
“Despite warnings, several institutes have kept expanding and students are left without a valid qualification at the end of the programme. These institutes will be told to get proper accreditation or stop enrollments,” said a senior official associated with the development.
An official said there have been complaints about students passing out of these institutes and ending up as faculty due to limited employment opportunities.
“Once these institutes apply for accreditation, we will look not only at campus size, financial status and faculty credentials, but also their track record,” he added.
The AICTE and the University Grants Commission (UGC) are the two main bodies that regulate educational institutions in the country. AICTE regulates technical institutes as well as management schools while UGC approves universities and colleges under them.
Any educational institution in the country needs to have the necessary accreditation to offer any course, be it a degree, diploma or other similar certifications, from either of the two bodies. If a student completes a programme at any unrecognised institute, their degree is not valid for pursuing higher education. Also, their career prospects are hampered.
[“Source-moneycontrol”]
