Question : Restructuring the Higher EducationRegulatory Regime

(a) whether the Government is planning to restructure the higher education regulatory
regime;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) the steps taken by the Government to check the rampant corruption in the
regulatory bodies under the administrative control of Ministry such as AICTE and
NCTE;
(d) whether it is true that there are many vacancies in bodies like NCTE and AICTE;
(e) the details of the year-wise number of vacancies in NCTE and AICTE since the
years 2017 to 2020;
(f) whether it is true that the post of Vice-Chairperson of NCTE is lying vacant for more
than 5 years; and
(g) if so, the date since this post has been lying vacant and the reasons why no official has been appointed to this post?

MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL ‘NISHANK’)

(a) & (b): Till now no final decision has been taken in this regard.
(c): All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has introduced e-governance for
ensuring greater transparency and accountability in its working and to enable faster
processing of applications for grant of approval for establishment of new technical
institutions and expansion of existing institutions and also for other purposes such as
providing grants for research and development projects in technical institutions. AICTE
has created database of countrywide experts and experts are selected randomly by
computer thus avoiding manual/human intervention in the constitution of the Expert
Committees. All financial matters, approval process, Prime Minister’s Special
Scholarship Scheme, Scholarship payments to students have been computerised and
are online. All payments in the organization are made electronically.
The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has moved towards online
system in an attempt to bring in transparency in its functioning. The application process,
appeal filing, grievances and RTI have become online. NCTE has adopted e-office in all
its official work. NCTE has also formulated and circulated the Standard Operating
Procedures to all regional offices for reducing subjectivity and adhocism in functioning.
Further, action is taken on complaint(s) regarding misconduct in NCTE as per
conduct rules and in accordance with Central Vigilance Commission guidelines as and
when such complaint(s) are received.
(d) & (e): The details of year-wise number of vacancies in AICTE and NCTE from the
year 2017 to 2020 are at annexure-I and II respectively.
(f) & (g): The post of Vice-Chairperson in NCTE is lying vacant since 09.07.2011. The
search and selection committee for appointment of Vice-Chairperson, NCTE has been
constituted and advertisements have been issued for inviting applications.
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