Recently, the Union Human Resource Development Minister announced a series of initiatives designed to enhance the quality of technical education provided by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). These include the creation of the Margadarshan and Margdarshak programmes, various waste management initiatives, and the introduction of the Aspire Women Entrepreneurs (Wawe) Summit in 2019.
Margdarshan and Margdarshak: Paving the Way for Excellence
The Margadarshan initiative represents a significant investment in new or developing institutions from the top-performing technical institutes across the country. These institutes, selected for their outstanding accreditation records, will serve as mentors to 10 to 12 lesser-established “mentee” institutions. The mentoring institutions will guide mentee institutions in adopting effective teaching and learning practices and provide necessary funding up to Rs. 50 lakhs over a three-year period. This financial assistance aims at facilitating a range of activities including training, workshops, and conferences.
Meanwhile, the companion programme, Margdarshak, is set to involve experienced teachers or ‘Margdarshaks’ who exhibit extensive knowledge of accreditation processes and are willing to commit significant time to mentee institutions. Regular visits and on-campus stays at mentee institutions will allow these Margdarshaks to offer consistent guidance, significantly enhancing institutional quality and ultimately leading to accreditation from the National Board of Accreditation.
Waste Management and Entrepreneurship Initiatives
In conjunction with the Institute of Waste Management (IIWM), AICTE will host the Waste Management Accelerators for Aspire Women Entrepreneurs (Wawe) Summit in 2019. Expected to be the largest gathering of young women students, the Wawe Summit aims to encourage entrepreneurship in waste management and identify alternatives to single-use plastic carry bags. The theme of the summit declares: “Make your own bag – empowering women to take up income generation activity and entrepreneurship in waste management, through making a business out of this record-creating concept.”
A Brief Overview of AICTE
| Foundation Date | November 1945 |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Facilitating technical education development throughout India in a coordinated and integrated manner |
| Responsibilities | Planning, formulating, maintaining norms & standards, quality assurance through accreditation, funding in priority areas, monitoring, evaluation, maintaining parity of certification & awards, managing technical education in the country |
New Changes in Higher Education
Finally, the minister also proposed several other important initiatives aimed at enhancing the quality of higher education in India. Notably, these include modifications to the model curriculum for diploma courses in order to better prepare students for the demands of the modern age, as well as the introduction of a comprehensive 360-degree faculty feedback system designed to improve the overall educational quality. These changes reflect the Ministry of Human Resource Development’s ongoing commitment to advancing the standard of technical education in India.
