TSCHE caught in cleft stick
Hyderabad: The tug-of-war between the University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council for Technical (AITEC) over offering of technical courses in Deemed to be Universities is giving sleepless nights to the Telangana State Council for Technical Education (TSCHE).
According to the TSCHE sources, as per the UGC guidelines the Category I Deemed to be Universities are given permission to start Off-Campus Centres. Further, the UGC said in 2016 that Deemed Universities need not obtain prior approval from AICTE for starting any professional or allied courses covered by the AICTE Act, he said.
However, confusion has resulted following the AICTE trying to gain its grip over the private and Deemed to be Universities on the basis of a judgment of the Supreme Court that, “no courses or programmes shall be introduced by any Technical Institution, University, including a Deemed University or University Department on College except with the approval of the Council”.
Speaking to The Hans India, a top official from TSCHE said that the issue is among the UGC, AICTE and Deemed to be Universities and in no way any of these falls within the ambit of the state council. However, recently AICTE had shot off a letter to the govt and the technical education department asking them to report on the unapproved technical courses being offered by the private and deemed universities in the state.
In turn, the state government asked TSCHE to deal with it. “We have issued notices but ended up only to be told by them that we have no role in the issue,” an official in TSCHE said. "Since the issue has been referred to us by the state government the same has been taken up. When contacted TSCHE Chairman T Papi Reddy said, “We are in the process of taking legal opinion to figure out the future course of action.”