REPORT OF THE GROUP ON TECHNICAL EDUCATION (ANNEXURE-X)
Chairperson
Prof. P. N. Srivastava, Member, Planning Commission.
Repporteurs
1. Prof. Ashoka Chandra, EA(T).
2. Shri S. K. Handa, Director of Technical Education, Punjab.
The Group discussed the various achievements, trends, issues and problems relating to technical education laying greater emphasis on functioning of AICTE, maintenance of standards and quality improvement, resource mobilisation for strengthening technical education, salary scales of polytechnic teachers and management of the system. The Group had the wise counsel and guidance of the Hon'ble Ministers of Education of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
The Group welcomed the statutory status conferred on AICTE and noted that:
- AICTE has started creating an overall impact on the technical education system by regulating unrestrained growth of institutions and courses and developing guidelines, norms and standards for courses, curricula etc.
- The Council has been able to clear a good number of proposals received from the State Governments with all the details and data required for such clearance;
- There is however dissatisfaction in serveral cases with regard to the delay in clearing proposals still
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pending with the Council which was for want of adequate information on employment potential, availability of funds under the State plans, lack of trained teachers and other resources needed for the proposed new courses and new institutions.
In consideration of the above, the Group recommended that
- The State Governments may send only such proposals which are essential and for which provisions have been made in the State plans. The proposals should also be thoroughly scrutinised at the State level before the same are forwarded to the A.I.C.T.E. The AICTE may prescribe formats for submitting proposals of various categories.
- Meetings may be held between the Council and the representatives of the State Governments to consider the pending proposals and reach an understanding on them on the basis of their need, relevance and their place within the overall development of technical education in the country/states. There should be adequate flow of information from the AICTE to the State Governments.
The State Governments may expedite sending the lists of suitable persons for consideration of their nomination to the various bodies of the Council, the early constitution of which would enable the Council to undertake speedy clearance of proposals.
Maintenance of Standards - The Group observed that there is need for pursuit of excellence and of technical education in the country. The funds available must, therefore, be judiciously invested on consolidation; Modernisation and quality improvement of the ongoing institutions/programmes.
- Realising the importance of achieving a wide- spectrum logical capability as early as possible,
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additional funds must be raised for starting new courses/programmes in the frontier and emerging areas. However, the group endorsed that the emphasis must lie on consolidation of existing institutions, modernisation and quality improvements rather than on expansion of the system. This was particularly important in the context of limited availability of resources and the high cost of setting up new institutions.
- In consideration of the above, the Group recommended that all steps must be taken to improve the budgetary allocation for technical education. The State Governments should also take early steps to constitute Council of technical education which should, in close collaboration with AICTE, work in the direction of. bringing about improvements in planning, and monitoring execution of programmes/ institutions in their respective States.
Resource Mobilisation The Group observed that the State and Central Governments may not be in a position to provide all the money required for the continued growth and development of technical education in the country. In this context, the Group recommended that the possibility of raising additional funds from external sources and raising of tution fees be considered with the proviso that students coming from all the weaker and poorer sections of the population be given freeships/scholarship equivalent to the amount of fee charged. The Group also welcomed the possibility of a World Bank Project for strengthening of the technical education system. In this context, it was recommended that external funding to normal plan provisions should be treated as additionality. Similarly, funds generated by institutions through consultancy, testing etc., should be allowed to be used by the institutions for developmental purposes, without adjusting them against the available budgets of the institutions.
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Salary Scales of Polytechnic Teachers The Group noted the information provided, at the request of some States, on the pay scale recommended by the Dogra Committee and subsequently by the empowered Committee for Polytechnic teachers and observed that
-There is strong case for improving the pay scales of Polytechnic teachers. It was also noted that the new statutory AICTE has, as a general measure, accepted the decisions/recommendations of the previous AICTE. It was explained that the Central Government was not in a position to provide financial assistance for implementing the polytechnic scales and that the States may take their own decisions and implementing new scales. During the discussions it emerged that some States have already accepted in principle the scale suggested by the empowered Committee and have at some levels improved upon them.
The Group, however desired that the statutory AICTE may communicate the pay scales suggested by the empowered Committee to the States. It also pleaded that the Central Government may consider providing some financial assistance towards implementing the pay scales for polytechnic teachers.
Management of the System The Group noted that a functionally viable management system is essential for ensuring effective implementation of various schemes. In this context, the Group recommended that the State Directorates must be strengthened urgently to enable them to undertake the multiplicity of tasks expected of them. The State Government representatives also strongly voiced the view that manpower resources at the Centre, particularly in the AICTE should also be strengthened on a priority basis.
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Weaknesses/Imbalances The Group took note of the weaknesses and imbalances that have crept into the system over the years and suggested that corrective steps should be taken through appropriate State, Regional and AICTE forums. The Group also discussed a proposal articulating a need for enlarging the scope of apprenticeship training under the Apprenticeship Act to cover new target Groups and to provide powers at the State level. In this connection, the Group recommended that the matter may be considered by the Central Apprenticeship Council in greater detail and for powers to be given at the state level, a resolution be sent to the AICTE for its consideration.
Other items on the agenda on weaknesses and perspectives for the VIII Five Year Plan was not discussed in detail but the group endorsed the items.
PARTICIPANTS IN THE GROUP ON TECHNICAL
EDUCATION 6-7 July, 1989
IIT, New Delhi
1.Prof. P. N. Srivastava Chairman
Member Planning Commission
2.Prof. Ashok Chandra Rapporteur
Education Advisor (Technical)
Department of Education
3.Shri S. K. Handa Rapporteur
Director (Technical Education & Indl. Trg.)
Government of Punjab
4.Dr. K. Gopalan
JEA(T)
Department of Education
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5.Prof. S. K. Srivastava JEA(T)
Department of Education
6.Shri I. B. Sangal Director (T)
Department of Education
7.Shri S. Vedantam
AAA(T)
Department of Education
8.Shri V. N. Datta,
DEA(T)
Department of Education
9.Shri S. D. Awale
DEA(T)
Department of Education
10.Shri S. N. Chakraborti
DEA (T)
Department of Education
11.Shri Vijay Bharat
AEA(T)
Department of Education
12.Shri M. M. Chaudhary
AEA(T)
Department of Education
13.Shri M. L. Gilautra
AEA(T)
Department of Education
14.Smt. Y. Sita Devi
Education Minister
Government of Andhra Pradesh
15.Shri A. V. R. J. Sarma
Joint Secretary
Board of Intermediate
Education Government of Andhra Pradesh
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16.Shri K. Pradeep Chandra
Director (TE)
Government of Andhra Pradesh
17.Shri T. R. Agnani
Education Secretary
Government of Gujarat
18.Shri A. K. Srivastava
Director (TE)
Government of Goa
19.Shri D. M. Talwar
Additional Director (TE)
Government of Haryana
20.Shri R. K. Aggrawal
Director (TE)
Government of Himachal Pradesh
21.Shri B. K. Battacharya
Commissioner & Secretary (Education)
Government of Karnataka
22.Shri K. Chandrasekhran
Minister (Education)
Government of Kerala
23.Shri R. Jayaraman
Director (TE)
Government of Kerala
24.Shri C. K. Jayaswal
Education Minister
Government of Madhya Pradesh
25.Shri S. N. Rao
Principal Secretary (Man Power)
Government of Madhya Pradesh
26.Shri G. T. Ramlekhi
Deputy Director (Tribal Welfare)
Government of Madhya Pradesh
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27.Dr. A. S. Khanoeja
Director (TE)
Government of Madhya Pradesh
28.Shri B. B. Chopane
Director (TE)
Government of Maharashtra
29.Shri B. M. Mukherjee
Controller of Technical Education
Government of Manipur
30.Dr. R. N. Hazarika
Additional Director (TE)
Government of Meghalaya
31.Shri N. K. Lalwia
Director (Hr. & TE)
Government of Mizoram
32.Shri I. Yanger
Director (TE)
Government of Nagaland
33.Shri B. Pande
Joint Director (TE)
Government of Orissa
34.Shri S. L. Tak
Director (TE)
Government of Rajasthan
35.Shri T. Subbarao
Technical Teachers Training Institute
Government of Tamil Nadu
36.Shri S. P. Chakravarti
Additional Director (Hr. Ed.)
Government of Tripura
37.Shri Brijesh Kumar
Secretary (TE)
Government of Uttar Pradesh
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38.Shri L. M. Vyas
Special Secretary(TE)
Government of Uttar Pradesh
39.Shri J. B. Gupta
Director(TE)
Government of Uttar Pradesh
40.Shri D. C. Das
Director(TE)
Government of West Bengal
41.Shri B. N. Krishnamurthy
Director(TE)
Government of Karnataka