The all India Council for Technical Education Act, 1987 – Review:
The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) was formulated in 1945 as an advisory body and it is the countrywide council for technical education. The graduate and post graduate schemes are accredited by the AICTE under certain class at the institutions in India. The main function of AICTE is to provide appropriate arrangements and synchronized progression of technical education system.
The AICTE was granted statutory recognition by enacting All India Council for Technical Education Act in 1987. The main objective of the Act is to establish AICTE for systematic planning and organized expansion, qualitative enhancement, regulate, control and maintain standards in the technical education programme in India.
The Act provides that the AICTE shall be established on publication of notification by the Central Government. The AICTE shall have the status of a company and can purchase, hold and sell off assets, enter into contracts and power to litigate in its own name.
The Council shall consist of a Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Educational Advisor of the Central government etc and such other members prescribed under the Act. On the first constitution, the members other than the ex officio member shall be for five years and after that, three years. Where the Chairman is unable to discharge his duties due to death, resignation, illness or any other reason whatsoever, the Vice Chairman shall act in his place until another member is appointed. But when there is difficulty in holding office of the Vice Chairman or any other members, the Central Government shall make fresh appointment.
The functions of the Vice Chairman shall be decided by the Chairman from time to time. The functions of other members shall as prescribed under the Act. The meetings of the Council and the procedure of such meetings will be specified under the regulation. The Council if deemed necessary shall associate other persons for support, advice or guidance to continue the functions of the Council. Such a person shall have the right to be part of discussions and meetings but excluded from the right to vote and cannot be a permanent member of the Council.
The Council is empowered to appoint officers and staffs for the proper functioning and administration subject to the provisions of the regulation. Such appointments shall be made by the council with the prior permission of the Central Government. The employees or officers appointed by the Council shall have remunerations and conditions of service agreed on in the regulation.
The main functions of the Council shall be to fix standards, harmonized and integrated improvement, perform reviews and compilation of data, distribution of funds, frame special rules for women, weaker sections and handicapped, introduce new schemes for teachers, encourage research and development and other functions stipulated under the Act. The Act further provides that the Council shall fix uniform standards for fee structure, approve the establishment of new institutions, steps to avoid commercialization of technical education, stipulate strategy for admission, constitute National Boards as accrediting body etc.
The Council shall constitute an Executive Committee to discharge the functions stipulated under the Act. Where the Central Government is of the opinion that the Council cannot discharge the functions effectively, the Central Government shall supersede the Council as provided by the Act. To execute the provisions of the Act, the Central Government is empowered to formulate rules in the concerned matters. The Council shall make regulation for the issues connected therewith in consonance with the present Act.
The Act is an endeavor to promote technical education in India and to ensure uniform standards for the functioning of institutions imparting technical education.