Updated on: Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Government virtually expressed its inability to set up technical education institutes in remote regions in hilly states saying it was difficult to find faculty to teach in such locations.
Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour, HRD Minister M M Pallam Raju said the priority of the government was to consolidate the newly launched technical education institutes, including the one launched in Uttarakhand.
"At a remote location it is difficult to find faculty," Raju said in reply to a query by Satpal Maharaj (Cong). Noting that availability of faculty was key to setting up of technical education institutes, the minister said quality PhD scholars were required to do research and impart quality education.
Raju said in 2011-12, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) had granted permission to set up 432 technical institutes out of the 956 applications it had received.
He said in 2012-13, the AICTE had granted permission to set up 283 technical institutes out of the 647 applications it had received.
The Minister said 23 applications received during 2012-13 were pending due to court cases or for want of additional information and non-receipt of security deposit from these institutions.