The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), which serves as the apex regulator of technical education, has recently called upon institutions to submit applications for course approvals for the academic year 2023-24. Despite receiving several complaints from faculty and students, the council has not been able to resolve many of the problems being faced. The Telangana Schools and Technical College Employees Association (TSTCEA) has been raising the issue of underpayment and non-payment of salaries for the past couple of years, and numerous representations from Telangana have been sent to the council requesting necessary action against erring institutions.
In addition, colleges have been running in gross violation of AICTE norms, without maintaining the student-teacher ratio. Although the apex regulator reportedly avoids responsibility after giving approvals to various courses, issues regarding understaffing, lack of infrastructure as per the AICTE norms, and other irregularities have been brought to the notice of the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad (JNTU-H). However, each legal entity that is to be regulated and oversee the implementation of regulations to ensure standards and quality of education has been giving approvals and affiliations to run new courses, closure of old ones, and conversion of courses by private colleges.
The AICTE itself, in its latest approval circular for the academic year 2023-24, stated that universities and institutions deemed to be universities have taken partial approvals; however, they were withdrawn. Following this, from the ensuing academic year, there will be no grant of partial approvals.
