Seats in technical education to be increased

New Delhi: HRD Minister Kapil Sibal on Thursday announced revised norms for All India Council for Technical Education to increase the seats in technical education.

The ministry also made it mandatory for technical institutions to reserve 5 percent seats for the weaker sections of society.

The minister announced easing of norms for establishing new engineering colleges, expansion of institutions and number of seats, with a series of steps that would result in increase of seats in engineering institutions.

"Introduction of Section 25 of Company's Act to allow good corporates to set up Technical Institutions. However, no joint ventures can apply for this," an official statement from the HRD ministry said.

Models like public-private partnership and build-operate-transfer will be used to involve the private sector in setting up technical institutes in 241 districts where there are no engineering colleges.

Easing the land norms for starting institutes, the HRD minister announced that lesser space will now be needed for establishing technical institutes. While an engineering college in rural India will need 10 acres of land, in urban areas it will require just 2.5 acres of land.

Special evening classes will also be conducted in the areas of Engineering, Technology, Architecture Town Planning, Hospitality and Pharmacy by AICTE-approved institutes.

"This will facilitate the community around the Institutions to benefit by acquiring the skills provided by these Institutes. These Institutions are expected to form clusters with other institutions in the neighborhood and collaborate with the Industries in the area in running these skill-based programmes," the HRD minister said.