AICTE circular: B-Schools get interim relief from SC

In a breather to about 545 B-schools, the Apex Court today gave a stay order for a year on the notifications issued by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

AICTE had in December 2010 issued a notification with eight guidelines, of which its proposal to regulate the fee and course curriculum of all the B-schools was the most contested.

The court order implies that the B-schools, which come under the ambit of AICTE will be free to select candidates through any of five national level entrance tests for 2011.

Besides, they will also retain the power to take group discussions and personal interviews.

According to sources, the Supreme Court has granted a stay order for a year. However, the B-Schools have to inform AICTE about the test through which they will be selecting candidates.

On governance, the court has asked that the B-schools can have two invitees on their board one from AICTE and one from the state instead of five invitees notified by the AICTE earlier.

On the part-time MBA courses, AICTE is understood to have withdrawn its notification to discontinue it.

In December 2010, AICTE issued guidelines on post-graduate diploma in management (PGDM) courses.

Last month the Bombay High Court and the Orissa High Court gave a stay order on the AICTE guidelines.

The Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS) and the Education Promotion Society of India (EPSI) had filed a writ petitions in the Supreme Court, challenging the recent guidelines on post-graduate management diploma (PGDM) courses by the technical education regulator last month.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• B-schools can select candidates through any of the tests— CAT, MAT, XAT, ATMA, JET

• Can fix the fee provided they inform the AICTE

• Order to discontinue part-time courses withdrawn by AICTE

• B-schools can have only two invitees on board-- one from AICTE and one from state government