Apex court slams AICTE for tinkering with schedule

SC extends time for approval till June 10

The Supreme Court on Tuesday slammed the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for “tinkering” with the time schedule fixed by it in granting annual approvals to technical colleges.

“We can exhibit exemplary ruthlessness,” a vacation bench of Justices P C Ghose and Amitava Roy said, warning contempt action against the top brass of the regulatory body of technical education.

While extending the time till June 10 for granting approvals to 612 engineering and polytechnic colleges across Uttar Pradesh, the bench told the AICTE counsel: “Don't tinker with our verdict. We are not sitting here for nothing.”

The court expressed its anguish as counsel for Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University, a nodal varsity of technical colleges in UP, cited non-adherence of the time schedule, fixed by the apex court in its 2012 judgment, by AICTE. He said the delay in approval resulted in inability of the university to follow the schedule.

“We are final as far as law is concerned. We will issue contempt to you. Let it be clear to all concerned. We know how to enforce our order,” the bench said.The court pointed out that the students of 612 engineering colleges cannot be relocated for now.

The court gave a week to AICTE to state the reasons for not following the verdict and explain the delay in communicating its approval to 612 engineering colleges in Uttar Pradesh and to the APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University in the state.