Initiatives of AICTE

• 19 Sep 2019

Recently, the Union Human Resource Development Minister has launched several initiatives of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in order to improve the technical education in India.

Initiatives Undertaken

• Facilitation through Margadarshan and Margadarshak
  
  • Margadarshan: Under this scheme,
    
    • Institutions having good accreditation records or the top-performing institutions are selected to mentor relatively newer 10 to 12 potential institutions.
    • Best teaching and learning practices followed in the mentor institute will be simulated in the identified mentee institutions.
    • The mentee institutions will also be provided with funding up to Rs. 50 lakhs (per institution) over a period of three years (in instalments), for carrying out various activities like training, workshops, conferences, etc.
  • Margdarshak: Under this scheme,
    
    • The mentor teachers or the Margdarshaks, who are either serving or are superannuated, with good knowledge of accreditation and are willing and motivated to devote adequate time to the mentee Institutions are identified.
    • These Margdarshaks will regularly visit the identified mentee institutions, stay on their campus and guide them for the improvement in their quality so that institutions are able to get accreditation by the National Board of Accreditation.
• Waste Management Accelerators for Aspire Women Entrepreneurs (Wawe) Summit 2019
  
  • The Wawe Summit will be the largest gathering of young women students, that will promote entrepreneurship in waste management and provide alternatives to single-use plastic carry bags.
  • The Summit will be jointly organized by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and Institute of Waste Management (IIWM) at Jaipur.
  • IIWM & AICTE will be registering the interested participants and will guide them to connect from Start-Up India to Stand Up India.
  • The theme of the summit is: “Make your own bag – empowering women to take up income generation activity and entrepreneurship in waste management, through making a business out of this record-creating concept.”
• Several other initiatives were taken by the ministry of HRD for improving the higher education quality by proposing changes in:
  
  • The model curriculum for diploma courses- to start new courses that can prepare students in today’s competitive age, and
  • 360-degree faculty feedback- to improve the quality of education in India.

All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)

• It was set up in November 1945 as a national-level apex advisory body.
• Its purpose was to conduct a survey on the facilities available for technical education and to promote development in the country in a coordinated and integrated manner.
• According to the National Policy of Education (1986), AICTE is vested with:
  
  • Statutory authority for planning, formulation, and maintenance of norms & standards,
  • Quality assurance through accreditation,
  • Funding in priority areas, monitoring, and evaluation,
  • Maintaining parity of certification & awards,
  • The management of technical education in the country.

Source: PIB