In the statement of All India Council for Education Technology said that “The noted with concern that various media outlets have misinterpreted the changes brought about by the Council to enable adoption of New Education Policy in Technical Institute & have misreported that Mathematics/Physics is not a compulsory subject to pursue higher education in Engineering & Technology”. And this interpretation is totally wrong & belie the changes, Some of the news houses called that now PCM is optional, not compulsory for taking admission in engineering courses, The news houses said that the AICTE has announced the official statement through the Handbook 2021-22. That any students can get opt for admission in engineering colleges. The subjects include Computer Science, electronics, information technology, biology, information practices, biotechnology, technical vocational subjects, engineering graphics, business studies.
Press Note 1 Dated 12 March 2021
Approval Process 2021-22 and clarifications about reforms in the light of NEP 2020
AICTE, a Statutory Body of the Government of India is executing its mandate both as a regulator and as a true facilitator for its Stakeholders. Several proactive measures for the planned and qualitative growth of technical education have been initiated over the years as well as effectively implemented. The year 2019-2020 and the period to date has been a year of great transformation in the educational scenario. NEP 2020, The New Education Policy approved by the Union Cabinet is set to bring a slew of major changes and reforms including allowing institutes to turn into multi-disciplinary which is aligned with school education pattern 5+3+3+4. In the new system (in the last slot of secondary education which is for FOUR years), there are NO compartments. Disciplinary Boundaries have been removed/dissolved to promote the overall development of students in different disciplines. Hard Boundaries (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics) imposed for entry into ALL branches of engineering education (which are 367 in Diploma and 261 in Under Graduate) for a long time was affecting access to higher technical education for those who had not taken these subjects. In fact, industries were suggesting major revamping of the entry qualifications so that students can take major challenges as per their aptitudes.
- Historically, AICTE was rigid in terms of entry-level qualifications prescribed for courses in engineering and technology. In early years, ALL three subjects viz. Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics were COMPULSORY for pursuing an education in Engineering. It has been observed that in circuit branches like Computer Science, not much application of Chemistry was required, hence AICTE removed the compulsion of Chemistry as a qualifying subject to pursue Engineering and Technology courses long back since 2010. Along with Chemistry, a wide array of other subjects such as Biotechnology, Biology, Technical Vocational Subjects, Computer Science, etc. had been allowed as qualifying subjects. It is worth mentioning that for Bio-Technology and Bio-Informatics, Biology is an essential input.
- The Council was in receipt of many representations from the Industry as well as student community to give an option to pursue technical courses such as agriculture, biotechnology information technology, electronics, etc to students who did not have prior electives of PHYSICS and MATHEMATICS at +2 level but had studied relevant portions of the same at +2 level to a certain desired extent.
- Consequentially, CBSE in its curriculum for science stream has given the subjects of Bio-Technology, Computer Science, Engineering Graphics, etc. and NIOS has also given subjects like Science and Technology in their array of science stream.
- In line with the NEP 2020 and with a view to facilitating the aspirations of various stakeholders and students, AICTE went a step forward by providing a window of opportunity to those students who have the APTITUDE as well as the background knowledge in certain branches of engineering and technology but were constrained to pursue the higher studies due to stringent compulsions of subjects. Taking a leaf out of NEP, the Council has given the flexibility to the Universities to extend their support to such willing students to pursue a career in engineering and technology who were hitherto deprived of the same owing to BARRIERS of subjects without affecting the attainment of Learning Outcomes, so the emphasis is on outcomes than mere inputs. Bridge Courses have been recommended for students entering engineering from diverse backgrounds.
- AICTE has been offering lateral entry to students in Diploma as well as Under Graduate courses in Engineering & Technology. A student wishing to pursue a Diploma course is normally a class X pass-out and as such in his pursuance of Diploma remains devoid of basic science courses hitherto available in the +2 level. Consequentially, such Diploma pass-outs are offered lateral
entry into Under Graduate courses directly in the SECOND YEAR. Universities, which feel that there is a need for bridge courses for such students have been doing this practice for a long time for more than 25 years. Also, it is pertinent to mention here that the lateral entry students seem to out-perform the direct entry students (+2 level) in the pursuance of such courses.
- To facilitate entry into Under Graduate programs in Engineering and technology w.e.f from AY 2021-22, the Council has provided a WIDER array of choice of subjects and students who can PURSUE the courses in Engineering and Technology like: –
Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Electronics, Information Technology, Biology, Informatics Practices, Biotechnology, Technical Vocational Subjects, Agriculture, Engineering Graphics, Business Studies, Entrepreneurship. (Any of the THREE) with precautionary advice to the Universities to offer suitable bridge courses such as Mathematics, Physics, Engineering Drawing, etc. for the students coming from diverse backgrounds to first achieve level playing field taking care of prerequisites and desired to learn outcomes of the programme.
- Multiple entries have always been there in Diploma and Under Graduate levels of Engineering and Technology through Lateral Entry. For example, an ITI passed student can take direct admission in the second year of Diploma, similarly, a Diploma passed student can take admission in the second year of Under Graduate course in Engineering and Technology. Taking a leaf out of NEP, the Council envisages to inculcate the option of multiple exits as in the case of Vocational courses wherein each level qualified has its individual relevance and eligibility for admission into appropriate programs/ courses as is mentioned in detail in the Approval Process Handbook in Appendix –I. NEP 2020 showcases the use of the Academic Bank of Credits(ABC) which shall ensure that the level of study already completed by an incumbent does not go in vain and can be used as an eligibility to complete the desired course at a later stage. The Vocational courses have such flexibility at present which can be incorporated in other programs/ courses in higher technical education.
- NEP 2020 envisages the availability of higher technical education in Indian/ Regional languages at the Diploma/Degree level. AICTE shall permit autonomous/accredited institutions seeking approval for running technical courses in the Indian/Regional language. Council is in the process of translating courses available on the SWAYAM platform into eight Indian/Regional languages and also encouraging faculty to write/translate quality textbooks in technical education in regional languages.
- The Council seeks to integrate Vocational courses with conventional technical courses as a skill enhancer for students. NEP envisages no demarcation between vocational and general education by bringing the commonalities in learning outcomes at different levels. As such, the Vocational courses shall be taken by such students who want to build their capacity in a particular area of interest and increase their chance of employability.
This initiative of AICTE will enhance the accessibility of technical education to students coming from diverse background and also it shall seek to reduce the pressure on students to pursue such portions which are not relevant in pursuance of higher technical education. This is totally in line with the philosophy of NEP in terms of flexibility and multi-disciplinary courses, innovation, etc.
It is also imperative to mention that it is an OPTION given by the Council which is NOT binding on the States or Universities and for various entrance exams such as JEE, CET, etc., they may continue to hold the entrance exams in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics as is being done now and gradually decide to conduct the exam in other subjects later after discussing and taking decisions in the University Senates/ Academic Councils and State Level Committees. In the future when NEP shall be implemented in totality then this OPTION can be implemented in its letter and spirit.
Approval Process 2021-22 and clarifications about reforms in the light of NEP 2020
AICTE, a Statutory Body of the Government of India is executing its mandate both as a regulator and as a true facilitator for its Stakeholders. Several proactive measures for the planned and qualitative growth of technical education have been initiated over the years as well as effectively implemented. The New Education Policy (NEP) envisages higher educational institutes to provide multi-disciplinary education which is aligned with the school education pattern based on (5+3+3+4). This effectively allows a student in forthcoming years to pursue studies without getting compartmentalized into fixed domains of Science, Arts, Commerce, Humanities, etc. NEP envisages the disciplinary boundaries to be removed/dissolved to promote the overall development of students in different disciplines.
Presently, the entry to pursue higher education in Engineering & Technology is based on traditional subjects of Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics which actually imposes a barrier to achieve the intended objective of multi-disciplinary outlook. However, in the 21st century, the traditional boundaries between different branches of Engineering & Technology are being re-drawn with an emergence of new sub-domains such as Bio-Technology, Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence, etc. These sub-domains may as well also require inputs from allied subjects such as biology, statistics, programming language, vocational streams, etc and thus
cannot be entirely dependent on strictly Mathematics, Physics & Chemistry (or anyone or two) alone.
The Council was in receipt of many representations from the Industry as well as student community to give an option to pursue technical courses such as agriculture, biotechnology, information technology, electronics, etc to students who did not have prior electives of PHYSICS and MATHEMATICS at +2 level but had studied relevant portions of the same at +2 level to a certain desired extent. Considering the need to develop a multi-disciplinary outlook amongst the students, it was imperative to re-define the entry barriers for pursuing higher education in the domains of Engineering & Technology. Accordingly, the Council after much deliberations has now brought about changes in the Approval Process that actually facilitates entry through a WIDER array of choice of subjects for students to pursue courses in Engineering and Technology. These are Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Electronics, Information Technology, Biology, Informatics Practices, Biotechnology, Technical Vocational Subjects, Agriculture, Engineering Graphics, Business Studies, Entrepreneurship (any of the THREE). This does not ispo facto dilutes the necessity to study basic science which by itself can be academically done via a bridge course or through a separate part curriculum by the academic institutes/ Universities such that the students coming from diverse backgrounds are able to first achieve level playing field for imbibing the desired learning outcomes of the programme. As a precedent, the Indian Institutes of Technology also handholds & coaches’ students much lower in merit during their preparatory course for one year by teaching them subjects of Mathematics/Physics/ Chemistry subsequent to which they are re-allowed admission into the first year. Bridge courses have also been the practice in some of the top universities in Germany, the USA & other places.
This initiative of AICTE will enhance the accessibility of technical education to students coming from diverse backgrounds. This is totally in line with the philosophy of NEP in terms of flexibility and multi-disciplinary courses, innovation, etc. Hence the Council reiterates & hereby also places on record that it has neither diluted nor removed the elementary subjects of Mathematics, Physics, or Chemistry for pursuing the technical programmes under Engineering & Technology domain, which inter-alia shall continue to be academically delivered while undergoing the curriculum. Albeit, in the AICTE model curriculum, there are four Mathematics, two Physics, and one course each of Chemistry & Biology. Considering the future needs of India to have more multi-disciplinary courses and promote research into emerging areas, the Council through the present initiative has introduced enabling provisions for embracing reforms envisaged under NEP from the forthcoming academic year itself. It is also imperative to mention that it is an OPTION given by the Council which is NOT binding on the States or Universities and for various entrance exams such as JEE, CET, etc., they may continue to hold the entrance exams in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics as is being done now and gradually decide to conduct the exam in other subjects later after discussing and taking decisions in the University Senates/ Academic Councils and State Level Committees. In the future when NEP shall be implemented in totality then this OPTION can be implemented in its letter and spirit
Leave a Reply