AICTE undertakes a Rs 180crore project for infrastructure development in northeast

Updated on: Friday, August 30, 2013

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has undertaken a Rs 180crore project for infrastructure development, strengthening faculty competence and improving the academic scenario of the technical institutions approved by the council in the northeast.

AICTE-approved degree engineering institutions and engineering polytechnics that fulfil the conditions laid down by the AICTE will receive a grant of Rs 7 crore and Rs 5 crore each, respectively, under the project, called the North East Quality Improvement Programme (NEQIP). Moreover, selected AICTE-approved university departments will also receive a grant of Rs 7 crore each.

Kuncheria P Isaac, member secretary of the AICTE, has recently written to directors of all technical education of all the eight northeastern states (including Sikkim) to ask them to urge institutions to avail the benefits of the project.

The objective of the NEQIP, which is of three years duration, is to strengthen the institutions in terms of infrastructure, quality of teaching, academics, research and consultancy to improve learning outcomes and employability of the students.

However, sources in the AICTE said that most of the institutions from the northeast are yet to apply for the project, although only two weeks are left for the application deadline. There are seven AICTE-approved engineering colleges, eight engineering departments in eight different universities and 30 polytechnics in the northeast.

G C Kakoty, consultant of the eastern region camp office of the AICTE on Thursday said institutions from which even one batch of students have passed out last year are eligible to apply. The minimum requirement is that four courses should be conducted currently in the institutions to apply for the NEQIP.

"Institutions that want to apply must have at least 50 per cent of the faculty positions filled, and full-timers in 30 per cent of the total sanctioned positions, in accordance with the AICTE prescribed student-to-faculty ratio," Kakoty said.

He said the institutions should also have board of governors in place, with an eminent educationist or industrialist as the chairperson.

AICTE undertakes a Rs 180crore project for infrastructure development in northeast

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