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Ministry keen to restore AICTE regulatory powers

Though there is very little time left for the end of the Lok Sabha term, the Union Human Resource Development Ministry is going ahead with its plans to move an amendment to reverse the Supreme Court judgment curtailing the All India Council for Technical Education’s powers to approve MBA and MCA courses.
The draft Bill has already been cleared by the Law Ministry, according to Higher Education Secretary Ashok Thakur. It seeks to restore the AICTE’s regulatory powers. The court had said the “role of AICTE vis-à-vis universities is only advisory, recommendatory and one of providing guidance and it has no authority empowering it to issue or enforce any sanctions by itself.”

Earlier, the Ministry planned the ordinance route to restore powers to the AICTE. However, as it is not very optimistic of the amendment being cleared by the current Lok Sabha, the Ministry has put in place an interim arrangement by which the AICTE would set the standards for technical institutions, and the University Grants Commission would provide affiliation. Plus, the institutions would have to be assessed by the National Board of Accreditation.
By an interim arrangement, AICTE would set standards for technical institutions and UGC would provide affiliation

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