In Maharashtra, management, engg institutes under scanner

Prominent management and engineering institutes in the state including
Pune-based International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), the
Indian Institute of Personnel Management (IIPM), ICFAI and Tilak Maharashtra
Vidyapeeth have come under the All India Council of Technical Education
(AICTE) scanner, with the council declaring them as "totally unapproved".

A list of 77 management and 16 engineering colleges prepared by the AICTE
cites various undergraduate and postgraduate courses that are being operated
by these institutes without the recognition of the council. AICTE is an apex
regulatory body for technical education, including professional courses in
business, hotel management, architecture and engineering.

According to the AICTE Act, 1987, "no technical institution can be started
without prior approval of the AICTE". Moreover, even if the institution is
government aided, or is affiliated to a university, AICTE sanction is
required before starting any new course or programme, as well as before
effecting any variation or increase in student intake.

Such incidents come to light through advertisements of these institutes in
newspapers. "The AICTE routinely scans such advertisements, which are then
forwarded to the legal cell. The legal cell verifies the approval status of
these institutes. If they are not approved, then show cause notices are sent
to them, asking them to obtain AICTE recognition, or close down," sources
said.

In November 2005 and February 2006, the AICTE had issued public notices in
newspapers warning students and parents about bogus institutions operating
without AICTE approval. "However, in spite of this, many institutions
continued to operate," sources said, adding show cause notices were now
being sent to the institutes included in the list.

On December 3, AICTE vice-chairman R A Yadav had said that over 200 fake
colleges were operating in the country, and show cause notices had been sent
to them. "If these institutes do not respond within a stipulated time, we
will put up their names on the AICTE website, to warn the general public,"
Yadav had said.

Some of the institutes mentioned in the list did confirm to Pune Newsline
that they were not recognised by the AICTE, but they denied receiving show
cause notices. While some, like the MIT School of Business said they were in
the process of acquiring approval, others like the National Institute of
Construction Management And Research (NICMAR) said the AICTE did not yet
have the specialised mechanism to recognise their course.

Meanwhile, institutions like deemed university Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth
(TMV) and ICFAI Business School (IBS) claim the AICTE does not have
jurisdiction over them. "Separate orders of the SC and the HRD Ministry a
few years ago established that the AICTE is not a controlling body and is
not superior to universities and deemed universities," said TMV
vice-chancellor Deepak Tilak. However, the AICTE website contradicts this
claim.

ICFAI Business School Pune director said they were registered as a private
university in Uttaranchal, as per an Act passed to this effect there, while
IIIT authorities said they were taking suitable steps as and when required
to seek approval from the regulatory bodies concerned. In order to seek
approval, the colleges must send in their applications to the AICTE along
with the required processing fee.


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