In what can be called as softening of its stance, the All India for Technical Education (AICTE) on Friday revised the guidelines for the post graduate diploma in management (PGDM) programmes.
As per the revised guidelines, institutions which are conducting PGDM, PGDM (executive) and PGCM programmes will have the flexibility of opting for either CAT, MAT or common entrance tests (CET) for admitting students.
?The competent authority on admissions shall allot students on the preferences expressed by the institutions from amongst the common merit list of students that is created,? the notification said.
Earlier on December 28, the council had laid out norms to regulate the fees, admissions and curriculum of PGDM programmes. ?This is a clarification for those B-schools who thought that the quality of students who get admissions will get affected if only CETs are considered. Now, they have the flexibility of selecting the entrance exam of their choice. There was no pressure from anyone on doing this,? explained S S Mantha, AICTE chairman.
Incidentally, the management institutes have already moved the Supreme Court against the AICTE’s norms.
However, the B-schools are not very happy with the revision. ?If the AICTE has nor looked at the issues related to regulation of fees and admissions, then there is no point of such a revision,? said H Chaturvedi, alternate president, Education Promotion Society for India which represents more than 250 B schools.