AICTE approves proposals for 89 new engineering colleges, starts UG courses in semi-conductors
Pubnews: AICTE approves proposals for 89 new engineering colleges, and starts UG courses in semiconductors. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has granted approval to 89 engineering colleges across India. This move comes after the council lifted the ban on new technical education institutions in March. In a significant development, AICTE has also given the green light to 80 other institutes, mainly privately-run, to offer undergraduate courses in VLSI (semi-conductor) design, logistics, and advanced communication technology. These three areas align with the central government’s key focus points.
This initiative introduces three new undergraduate courses, primarily falling under electronics engineering. The approved institutes will now be able to offer degree programs in these specialized electronics subjects. Initially, the government announced the launch of two such courses in February, and now these programs will be available to aspiring students.
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Professor Rajeev Kumar, Member Secretary of AICTE, highlighted the importance of this step in promoting domestic chip design manufacturing. By nurturing professionals and building a talent pool in these areas, the government aims to bolster the growth of the semiconductor industry on a large scale, requiring the development of skilled human resources.
To ensure the success of these courses, the Council has collaborated with two leading chip design firms to assist in faculty development. The central government’s focus areas have been logistics, semi-conductor (VLSI), and the advancement of communication technology, including 5G.
Simultaneously, while approving new institutes, some existing engineering colleges with a significant number of vacant seats have been closed down. However, there is a positive trend in admissions to core engineering disciplines like Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, and Electronics. In light of this, AICTE decided to lift the moratorium. The approval process for 2023-24 enables interested non-profit societies, trusts, or companies to establish engineering and technology institutes, with a requirement to offer at least three core engineering courses. Preference is given to colleges offering multidisciplinary courses in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
This decision by AICTE is a result of recommendations made by a committee established in 2018 to propose reforms in engineering education. The committee had formulated short- and medium-term plans for these colleges due to a large number of vacant seats. Initially, it was decided that no new engineering colleges would be permitted to open from 2020, with the situation reviewed every two years. However, the ban was lifted this year due to the increasing interest in core engineering subjects.
In conclusion, AICTE’s recent decisions aim to foster growth in technical education by allowing the establishment of new institutions and introducing specialized graduate courses in crucial technology areas.
