AICTE bans Institutions from offering both PGDM and MBA courses simultaneously

A higher education institution can offer either post graduate diploma in management (PGDM) programme or master of business administration (MBA).

Both of the management programmes can not be offered by any higher education institution with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) putting a ban on the simultaneous conduct of the two programmes revising its regulations.

Notifying the rules, the technical education regulator has directed all the universities including institutions deemed-to-be-universities and the state universities to submit proposals for conversion of the PGDM programmes into MBA or vice versa to offer just one of the two programmes.

A large number of standalone institutions, which are neither universities nor affiliated to any university, have been offering the PGDM courses with the approval of the AICTE.

Over a period of time, the central, state and private universities and deemed-to-be-universities have added the PGDM courses along with the MBA under the banner of management programme in contravention of the norms.

”In this context, it is brought to your notice that as per the provisions contained in the AICTE regulations 2020 conducting PGDM and MBA courses in the same institution is not permissible.” the council's member secretary Rajive Kumar stated in a recent communication to all university vice chancellors, asking them to follow the rules.

The AICTE (Grant of Approvals for Technical Institutions) Regulations, 2020 clearly stipulates that the technical education regulator shall not permit the conduct of the PGDM and the MBA courses in the same higher education institution.

The institutions offering both the PGDM and MBA courses could not be considered as standalone institutions, as some of the courses are being offered with the university affiliation, it clarifies, adding that the Trust, Society or a Company intending to run both the courses are required to apply for the establishment of a new technical institution to offer PGDM course.

“The Central/State/ Private Universities and institutions deemed to be universities which are running the PGDM programme concurrently (with the MBA) under the banner of management programme are requested to convert the PGDM courses as MBA completely and comply with the AICTE norms forthwith,” the council's member secretary stated in his communication to the vice chancellor.