FSFTI, PUCA Urge AICTE to Exempt BBA and BCA Colleges from Approval Requirements

New Delhi: The Federation of Self-Financing Technical Institutions and the All India and Punjab Unaided Colleges Association have jointly appealed to All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) to exempt BBA and BCA colleges from meeting approval requirements.

The college association emphasised that BBA, BCA, and BMS courses have not been under the purview of AICTE since the enactment of the AICTE Act in 1987. They expressed astonishment at the sudden inclusion of BBA, BMS and BCA courses under the AICTE's oversight after nearly four decades.

Kataria mentioned that such a move would escalate the financial burden on students. Sharma and Kataria cautioned that if AICTE does not ease the regulations for BBA and BCA colleges, they would be compelled to seek legal recourse.

This was discussed during a meeting of President Anshu Kataria of Federation of Self-Financing Technical Institutions and Amit Sharma, Senior Vice-President of the Punjab Unaided Colleges Association with Rajive Kumar, Member Secretary of AICTE on February 04, 2024.

Approval Handbook 2024-2027: AICTE to Regulate BMS, BCA & BBA Programs

Earlier, the AICTE granted permission to engineering colleges to initiate BBA and BCA programs. In its Approval Handbook for 2024-2027, AICTE has allowed colleges to introduce courses with durations of three or four years and has eased the regulations for colleges within its jurisdiction seeking to provide these programs.

According to the new guidelines, exclusive buildings and a director/principal are not mandatory for non-technical institutions already conducting undergraduate courses (BCA/BBA/BMS) and postgraduate courses (MCA/MBA) in Management and Computer Applications without seeking AICTE approval. 

However, institutions must ensure the presence of a separate head for the department, faculty, infrastructure, and other essential components.

Concerns Raised as AICTE Takes Charge of BBA and BCA Courses in Colleges.

The management of self-financing arts and science colleges is opposing this move. During a meeting convened by the Association of Management of Private Colleges, college principals pointed out that these courses are lucrative, and institutions have made substantial investments in them, attracting a significant number of students.

They argue that if the AICTE norms were to be enforced, they would have to invest more in teachers. Presently, most non-technical colleges maintain a student-teacher ratio of 50:1, which would need to be adjusted to meet the new norms. Additionally, BBA and BCA courses presently do not require mathematics as an entry qualification. 

Students who had chosen commerce in class 12 often opt for these programs. However, the AICTE norms now mandate students to have mathematics in class 12, raising concerns among teachers. Furthermore, there is confusion about which authority to approach for syllabus approval – the University Grants Commission or the AICTE.

Latest AICTE Updates:

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