UGC: New technical education norms not for diploma courses

The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and University Grants Commission (UGC) on Monday said the new regulations being drafted for technical educations institutions will affect only affiliated colleges and those offering graduate degrees. A senior official said, “Draft regulations will leave out institutions offering all diploma courses.”

Clarification has come in the wake of reports that a large number of management institutions are planning to go to the Supreme Court (SC) against the proposed UGC regulations. Their plea is that regulation by UGC will delay the admission process that is already in motion.

The UGC had come into the picture after the Supreme Court (SC) earlier this year said approval of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) is not required for obtaining permission and running MBA course by private institutions since it does not fall under the definition of technical education. The SC had also said AICTE’s role vis-a-vis universities is “only advisory, recommendatory and one of providing guidance and has no authority empowering it to issue or enforce any sanctions by itself.” Instead, the apex court had said regulatory function is with the UGC or the university.

Ministry sources said, “Management institutions have not understood the Supreme Court judgement. It does not impact diploma courses by non-affiliated institutions. Regulations have not been finalized yet. It will take some more time.” MHRD’s effort to amend the AICTE Act to circumvent the SC order has not happened so far and is unlikely to take place in the remaining few months of UPA-II government. 

Meanwhile, in order to implement SC judgment, UGC got into the act. Earlier, it wrote to universities with affiliating colleges that no new courses should be approved by them. The Commission had said it would also not approve any new course. A senior UGC official said, “Regulations have to be in place before the 2014-15 admission session begins. AICTE had already finished the process for 2013-14 by the time SC order came.” But AICTE officials are still hopeful that regulatory function will be restored either through amendment or ordinance.

Source: The Times of India, December 31, 2013

Renewable energy courses planned under Solar Mission

Anticipating a boom in demand for skilled personnel to power India’s nascent solar industry, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is drawing up a proposal to develop specific diploma and technical training courses. According to officials in the ministry, a plethora of courses such as low- and medium- temperature solar thermal applications, and specialized programmes in solar photovoltaic and solar thermal power are proposed to be introduced in India’s technical training institutes. While some programmes are being introduced for engineering students, a bulk of them are for graduates of technical training schools.

The introduction of such courses signals policymakers’ plans to tap a large base of skilled workers that could effectively contribute to a small, but ambitious initiative by the government to install 20,000 MW of solar power by 2022. “Introducing proper human resource development initiatives is key to a successful industry. We can’t survive on imported expertise,” said an official in the ministry who didn’t want to be identified.

The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar mission is one of the planks of the United Progressive Alliance government’s response to climate change, in which it proposes — in the first phase — to install nearly 1,000 MW of grid-connected, highly subsidized solar power by 2013, at the cost of Rs. 20,000 crore (Rs. 200 billion). “To achieve the target of 20,000 MW of solar energy by 2022 we need to put in concerted efforts and the indigenous manufacturing of solar power equipment will be of paramount importance in achieving this goal,” Bharat Singh Solanki, Minister of State for Power, said at a press conference.

Currently, it costs around Rs. 15 to produce a unit of solar electricity, which is significantly more than the coal-based approach, which costs Rs. 4-6. The government now subsidies a significant proportion — nearly Rs. 12 — of the cost of solar power.

Another official in the ministry said that the courses would be introduced as part of the government’s National Skills Development Mission, a Rs. 31,000 crore (Rs. 310 billion) initiative. As part of this, the government plans to extend training facilities to 10 million people a month, up from 2.5 million a year.

Source: Mint, October 1, 2010

Renewable energy courses planned under Solar Mission

Anticipating a boom in demand for skilled personnel to power India’s nascent solar industry, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is drawing up a proposal to develop specific diploma and technical training courses. According to officials in the ministry, a plethora of courses such as low- and medium- temperature solar thermal applications, and specialized programmes in solar photovoltaic and solar thermal power are proposed to be introduced in India’s technical training institutes. While some programmes are being introduced for engineering students, a bulk of them are for graduates of technical training schools.

The introduction of such courses signals policymakers’ plans to tap a large base of skilled workers that could effectively contribute to a small, but ambitious initiative by the government to install 20,000 MW of solar power by 2022. “Introducing proper human resource development initiatives is key to a successful industry. We can’t survive on imported expertise,” said an official in the ministry who didn’t want to be identified.

The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar mission is one of the planks of the United Progressive Alliance government’s response to climate change, in which it proposes — in the first phase — to install nearly 1,000 MW of grid-connected, highly subsidized solar power by 2013, at the cost of Rs. 20,000 crore (Rs. 200 billion). “To achieve the target of 20,000 MW of solar energy by 2022 we need to put in concerted efforts and the indigenous manufacturing of solar power equipment will be of paramount importance in achieving this goal,” Bharat Singh Solanki, Minister of State for Power, said at a press conference.

Currently, it costs around Rs. 15 to produce a unit of solar electricity, which is significantly more than the coal-based approach, which costs Rs. 4-6. The government now subsidies a significant proportion — nearly Rs. 12 — of the cost of solar power.

Another official in the ministry said that the courses would be introduced as part of the government’s National Skills Development Mission, a Rs. 31,000 crore (Rs. 310 billion) initiative. As part of this, the government plans to extend training facilities to 10 million people a month, up from 2.5 million a year.

Source: Mint, October 1, 2010