AICTE exploring ways to use CUET PG scores for PGDM admissions, forms panel

NEW DELHI: The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) is exploring ways to use the Central University Entrance Test (CUET) scores to grant admission to Post Graduate Diploma in Management or PGDM courses across India. According to sources, the AICTE has constituted a committee to “explore ways” to use the scores. However, the committee is yet to meet. The council received a suggestion to include CUET PG scores for PGDM admission during an online consultation with stakeholders on Friday.

Currently, admission to two-year PGDM courses is granted through scores obtained in entrance exams like Common Admission Test (CAT) , Common Management Entrance Test (CMAT) and various college-level exams like the Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP).

So far, CUET PG scores are considered for admission to postgraduate programmes in 195 central, state and deemed-to-be universities.

AICTE approval for 3 years

The technical education regulator is also planning to publish the Approval Process Handbook (APH) for technical educational institutions for three years for the first time. “The new approval handbook will be released for 2024-2027 to streamline the process for both AICTE and stakeholders. The final document will be released on November 28, 2023,”AICTE vice-chairman Abhay Jere told Careers360.

The move, according to Jere, is aimed at bringing a “light and tight” policy towards stability. It will also give ample time to technical institutes to be prepared and apply for new courses and approval extensions. The AICTE had released a draft APH asking for suggestions from stakeholders by November 17 which has been extended to November 22.

During an online consultation with stakeholders on the draft APH on Friday, Jere said, “The reason why we are bringing in an APH for three years is because there is some stability in what we are trying to ask so that you (technical institutions) have enough time to prepare yourself”.

He added: “Every year getting a new document out is a new exercise for the institutions. That is the reason we thought we will try to bring APH for three years from 2024 to 2027. If there are addendums or corrigendum, they will be subsequently released.”

BBA, BCA under AICTE

For the first time, courses like bachelor in business management (BBA), bachelor of computer applications (BCA) and Bachelor of Business Management (BBM) will come under AICTE’s regulatory purview.

AICTE chairman T.G Sitharam will interact with the directors and principals of colleges offering BBA, BCA, BMS courses on Tuesday. With BBA, BCA, BBM added to the list of technical programmes, over 1,000 institutes will come under the AICTE’s authority.

So far, AICTE regulated institutes were only offering master’s in business management (MBA) and postgraduate diploma in management (PGDM). Currently, the University Grants Commission (UGC) oversees the management of BBA degrees. The AICTE is yet to announce the maximum approved intake for such courses.

AICTE: Random inspections

The AICTE also plans to strengthen the physical Expert Visit Committee (EVC). To ensure global standards, AICTE member secretary Rajive Kumar said, the technical regulator is also emphasising on conducting random visits to AICTE-approved institutions.

“We have tried to liberalise the approval process by reducing the compliances significantly but we are also laying emphasis on maintaining the quality of education provided by these technical institutions,” said Kumar. “We have prepared a list of 1,000 faculty members from the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology and other institutions of national importance who will be part of the visiting teams in future to supervise and monitor these facilities,” he added.

Since 2020, these visits by the regulator have been carried out virtually in online mode. Only in case of receipt of a complaint or any other extraordinary circumstances, physical visits were conducted. AICTE mostly grants approval to an institute based on mutual trust on a self-disclosure basis.