The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) plans to grant autonomic status to well-performing polytechnic colleges in India. This will not only elevate the value of polytechnic courses but also provide more facilities and benefits to upgrade infrastructure.
The colleges receiving autonomy will have their own Governing Board, Academic Council, Board of Studies, Exam Committee, and Finance Committee for funds received through external resources. This will change the face of polytechnic education in India.
Professor TG Sitharam, chairman of AICTE, stated that autonomous status will help institutions have academic autonomy and become eligible for receiving funds and other benefits exclusive to institutions with autonomous status. This will allow polytechnic students to apply for internships announced on the AICTE Internship Enterprise Portal, which is now available only to Engineering students.
AICTE’s grant of autonomy policy states that more than 50% of faculty members should have undergone at least one course in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) or Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds (SWAYAM)/Faculty Development Programme (FDP)/industrial training in the current or previous academic year.
Faculty members are expected to undergo training to upgrade their skillsets, and AICTE will keep a check on polytechnic teachers to mandatorily undergo MOOCs training and other workshops for upskilling.
AICTE already has well-defined policies for faculty members in technical institutes, requiring at least 75% of final-year polytechnic students to have obtained a job or opted for entrepreneurship/higher studies during the previous three academic years. Polytechnic colleges with a dropout rate of only 20% and a good placement rate may benefit from better collaboration with industries and a 75% placement rate.
Autonomy can be achieved by polytechnic colleges that are philanthropic, well-established, and run on ethics. Autonomous polytechnics will soon become eligible for Department of Science and Technology (DST), AICTE, or government support to enhance educational infrastructure, establish cutting-edge research laboratories, and attract highly qualified teachers with valuable industry experience.
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