AICTE agreed to consider DU Colleges for running B.Tech courses

The 27 Delhi University Colleges who have long demanded nod of AICTE to run B. Tech course in their colleges have had a sigh of relief recently, as the AICTE has agreed to review the case and think about the affiliation.

According to some sources, “It was agreed at a meeting between Delhi University and AICTE officials that AICTE will take a lenient view and examine the case from a fresh perspective. AICTE is likely to conduct a fresh inspection of the colleges and consider it as a special case.”

AICTE had last week asked to colleges to submit an affidavit, that too within six hours. The colleges were promised that there shortcomings of faculty and infrastructure would be addressed within six months. The deadline provide by AICTE was seen as “impractical” by many principals and as a result only six colleges could have smutted the same, due to the ‘six hour’ ordeal.

According to sources, “After the six-hour deadline passed DU had approached AICTE explaining the difficulties in adhering to the directive. The varsity was assured that non-submission of the affidavit would not impact the procedure of granting the nod in this case.”

Last year, under the Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP), DU had initiated B.Tech programmes in Computer Science, Electronics, Food Technology, Instrumentation Electronics and Polymer Science which were scrapped due to intervention of UGC. Later UGC directed DU to run these five B.Tech programmes to ensure that the future of almost 6,000 students who got admitted last year in these courses doesn’t get affected. The colleges were then asked to take affiliation and approval from AICTE.

The colleges had missed many deadlines given to them, after which the students raised concerns to the Higher Education minister Smriti Irani in February this year. Irani further directed the matter to the VC and did the rightful. AICTE directed these colleges to file affidavit after they inspected these colleges.

In the communication sent by the AICTE to the colleges, it said, “Non-submission of affidavit by the stipulated time will be taken to mean that your college is not interested and approval will not be granted to your institute.”