AICTE urged to keep BCA, BBA courses out of its purview

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Chandigarh, February 4

The Federation of Self Financing Technical Institutions (FSFTI), All-India Unaided Colleges Association and Punjab Unaided Colleges Association (PUCA) has urged the All-India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) to exempt BBA and BCA courses in the country from its approval.

Citing the disparity in the rules, the associations have pointed out that on one hand, new colleges offering BBA and BCA courses pay Rs 20,000 approval/affiliation fee for each course, while on the other hand the existing AICTE-approved institutions will have to pay Rs 3.5 lakh each for additional course, leading to an increase in the financial burden on students.

In Punjab, there are 150 technical colleges offering BBA and BCA courses and around 20,000 students are enrolled in these. “With the AICTE asking for approval of these courses from academic year 2024-25, the burden will be passed on to the students. Presently, the affiliation to the courses is given by the state university concerned,” said Dr Anshu Kataria, president, FSFTI .

Kataria and Amit Sharma, senior vice-president, PUCA, today met Rajive Kumar, Member Secretary, AICTE, in New Delhi and pointed out that since 1987 when the AICTE Act was passed, BBA, BCA and BMS colleges were never part of the council approval. After almost four decades, suddenly bringing BBA and BCA courses under its ambit has shocked the college managements.

Meanwhile, the FSFTI and All-India Unaided Colleges Association and Punjab Unaided Colleges Association (PUCA) have decided to move the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the decision of the AICTE to bring the courses under its ambit.