The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) is all set to crack the whip on unrecognised foreign institutions running degree or diploma courses in the country in association with local partners. It has sent showcause notices to 120 such institutes across the country.
The choice given by the AICTE to foreign institutes is simple: either apply according to regulations or close down. The apex advisory body for technical education has asked state governments to take stern steps against unrecognised foreign universities imparting technical education in various fields.
Prasad Krishna, advisor (quality assurance) of the AICTE, said the council welcomes foreign universities, but unfortunately many of them are not approved even by their respective governments. At least 10 of them are not approved by their own government agencies. “We cannot allow non-accredited, non-approved foreign institutions to enter the country and attract our students with their degrees.”
At a seminar on technical education organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Krishna told reporters the USCFA is on its way to getting the approval of the AICTE. Earlier, the Tripura high court had asked the institute to get the approval of statutory bodies like the AICTE.
The apex technical education body has given business schools that are yet to get its approval six months to do so. “The B schools that do not abide by the rules will have to close down. We will inform the state governments concerned. We may give the schools six months to get land and set up their own building, because we cannot allow them to operate out of rented premises,” he said.
AICTE had issued notices to these institutes asking them to comply by its norms to operate in the country.