AICTE's control over biz course goes on
If one goes by the prevailing legal opinion, MBA and diploma courses does not constitute tech education.
By Ambika Naithani, TNN |
MUMBAI: Recently, when AICTE asked the Hyderabad-based Indian School of Business to furnish details of its MBA programme to see if it fits the category of ‘technical education’, it was the latest in a series of skirmishes that the regulator of technical education has had with institutes on the issue.
So do MBA and such diploma courses constitute technical education or not? Probably not, if one goes by the prevailing legal opinion.
National Law School, Bangalore, assistant professor Rahul Singh does not believe so. “The term technology includes applied science and under legislation, MBA is not an applied science,” he said. Many companies that have borne the brunt of spurious management consulting advice might agree with this view, and so would a few members of the profession of economics, arguably the latest discipline to be considered a science.
AICTE itself has more faith in the nature of knowledge that MBA institutes impart. According to AICTE, “Any institution offering technical education programmes in engineering & technology, management, computer applications, architecture & town planning, pharmacy, hotel management & catering technology, applied arts and craft, in India with or without foreign university collaboration needs (its) approval”.
“The definition of technical education under the AICTE Act, 1987, does not seem to include financial education, and hence it could be a possible contention by CFA Institute that it does not require approval from AICTE to conduct the CFA course in India,” Nishith Desai Associates’ Vikram Shroff said.
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According to an official of the CFA Institute, “CFA is like GMAT or GRE. It’s not a degree or diploma and thus charges against it are false.” “If all institutes that impart technical education and give away degrees, certificates, diploma, post-graduate degrees, etc, need AICTE approval then the thousands of small computer centres also need approval,” the CFA official added. When contacted, AICTE’s vice-chairman secretariat RA Yadav did not comment.
“AICTE is there to ensure that a certain level of technical skills is imparted, and it doesn’t have the right on sealing professional development,” said a lawyer on the condition of anonymity. The reason why AICTE has reacted this way is unclear. According to Mr Singh, this is a direct violation of the Competition Act, 2002.
While discussions on whether a course qualifies for technical education status continues, the students are in a quandary. If a day ago the worry was whether or not exams will be scheduled on the day, now the worry is about the future.
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“I have already spent Rs 50,000. I don’t know how I will complete this and whether or not I will get a job,” said Archana Parekh. Mr Singh, however, said employment was entirely dependent on the market situation and disruption in an examination will not have any consequences on a candidate’s employment opportunities.Start a SIP with as low as ₹500 with ET Money App!
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