Lok Sabha Question No. 5008 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-26
Subject: Engineering Colleges
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: CHANDRAKANT BHAURAO KHAIRE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5008 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.03.2018

## Engineering Colleges

†5008. SHRI CHANDRAKANT KHAIRE:

## Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

(a) whether  it  is  a  fact  that  the  Government  is  working  towards  reducing  number  of Government Engineering Colleges due to poor quality and less demand;

(b) if so, the details of the Engineering colleges closed during the last three years, Statewise;

(c) whether the Government has formulated any special plan for maintaining quality of Engineering Colleges; and

## (d)

if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

## (DR. SATYA PAL SINGH)

(a)  : No,  Madam.  The  All  India  Council  for  Technical  Education  (AICTE)  is  not  closing down Engineering Colleges on its own. However, the some Engineering Colleges have been granted approval for closure by AICTE based on their request.

## (b):

Does not arise.

(c)  &  (d): With  a  view  to  improving  the  quality  of  technical  education  and  thereby enhancing the employability of engineering students, the following action plan has been approved by the AICTE:

1. Planning: Long-term Perspective Plans will be prepared for technical education at State level, so that quality issues being faced may be addressed in a focused and planned way in consultation with the concerned State Governments.  This will be a guiding document while approving new institutions by AICTE.
2. Selection:    The  students  for  the  technical  courses  shall  be  selected  based  on  a standardized examination.
3. Induction training: Every student, on admission, shall be put through a mandatory Induction  training  to  reinforce  the  fundamental  concepts  and  the  required language skills required for the technical education. The model curriculum and the periodicity of this induction training will be separately notified by the AICTE.
4. Revision  of  curriculum:    Every  affiliating  Technical  University  shall  constitute subject-wise industry consultation committee (ICC) with the mandate of examining the existing curriculum and for making suitable changes in the curriculum every year. This process shall be completed in the month of December each year for the courses to be offered in the coming Academic year. Each institution, while applying for approval, shall certify completion of this process, which will be mandatory.
5. Mandatory  internships:  Every  student  in  technical  institution  shall  do  three internships each spanning  4  to 8  weeks  before  completion  of  the  undergraduation. The responsibility will be on the institution for helping the students in finding suitable industry or organisation for the internship.
6. Industry readiness: All students passing out of the undergraduate courses shall be imparted technical and soft skills required for working in the industry encompassing -managerial skills, entrepreneurial skills, leadership skills, communication skills, team-working skills and technical skills.
7. Promoting innovation/start-ups: There shall be efforts at every level for promoting innovation  and  creativity  in  the  students.  The  innovation  drives  like  Hackathon shall be promoted, so that innovative ideas would emerge that can be incubated in the start-up centres.
8. Exam reforms: The final exams being conducted by the institutions shall test the understanding of the concepts and the skill - rather than the subject knowledge. A model exam format would be prepared and shared with the institutions and the technical universities for suitable adoption. This aspect would be reviewed at the time of approval.
9. Training of teachers: Every teacher in each of the technical education disciplines shall mandatorily undergo an annual refresher course delivered through SWAYAM portal,  encapsulating  all  the  major  advances  in  the  field  of  their  study.  Online courses would also be prepared and delivered through the SWAYAM platform for improving  the  pedagogical  techniques  of  the  teachers.  The  participation  in  the courses by atleast 50% of the faculty would be a mandatory condition for approval of the institution. Similarly, there should be leadership training to the heads of the institutions  once  in  2  years.  These  trainings  would  also  be  hosted  through  the SWAYAM platform.
10.  Mandatory  accreditation:  At  least  half  of  all  the  programmes  in  the  technical institutions  shall  be  accredited  through  the  NBA  before  2022.  Unless  there  is credible  progress  each  year,  the  approval  of  the  institutions  can  be  refused.  In order  to  assist  the  institutions  in  meeting  the  mandatory  requirements  for applying for accreditation, a separate mechanism will be put in place.

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