AICTE nod for four new SFCs

KOCHI: The All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has given approval for four new self-financing colleges (SFC) in the state.   “After scrutiny and visits, we are in the process of giving nod for the four professional colleges in different streams in the first stage,” said AICTE sources.   The AICTE has granted permission to one college for engineering in Ernakulam namely the Cochin Institute of Science and Technology, Muvattupuzha, two colleges in Thiruvananthapuram-one for MCA and the other for MBA and an engineering college in Kozhikode. They have to get the nod from the respective universities and the government.  The number of colleges which gets approval is likely to go up by the month-end when the next phase of selection is over. Of the 21 colleges that applied for permission, 15 are likely to get the nod,” said sources.  It must be recalled that a large number of seats remained vacant in various self-financing colleges last year. Almost 10,000 seats were found to be vacant in engineering colleges last year and a good number in the MBA and other technical streams. “The infrastructure may be good in the self-financing sector, but the quality of teachers and large intake of students leave much to be desired,” said academician R V G Menon.  When asked why more number of SFCs were being given the nod, AICTE member secretary Kuncharia Isaac said, “When we deny approval the managements move court. But the AICTE has decided to stop granting approval for setting up new professional colleges in the self-financing sector from 2014-15,” he said.