Tech centres barred from adopting names that ape acronyms like IIT, IIM

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has barred technical institutes from adopting names that abbreviate as IIM, IIT, IISc or NIT.

Amending its principal regulations for granting approval for technical programmes of higher education institutions, it has also restricted the use of words "Government, India, Indian, National, All India, All India Council, Commission."

The Council has also made it mandatory for technical institutes to post details of "all fees" collected, including tuition fee and examination fee, on their portal.

No technical institution "shall collect any other fee" from the students, "by whatever name it may be called," in addition to the fee fixed by the State or Fee Regulatory Committee.

"The applicants (seeking approval for programmes) shall not use the words Government, India, Indian, National, All India, All India Council, Commission anywhere in the name of the technical institutions and other names prohibited under The Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950," the revised regulations read.

Restrictions on using these words will not be applicable to technical institutions established by the Central Government or if its name is approved "by the Government of India," the AICTE (Grant of Approvals for the Technical Institutions) (1st Amendment) Regulations, 2017 stipulated.

"Applicants /institutions shall not use the names of the existing institutions within the State," it added.

The AICTE has also made provisions for penalising the institutions if they violate the revised regulations.

In case of an institute charging fees exceeding the sum prescribed by the State Government or the Fee Fixation Committee, the Council will slap a penalty twice the amount of the fee collected. Such institutes will also have to refund the excess fee to the students.

Withdrawal of approval

For violation of regulations, the Council may also suspend its approval for NRI and supernumerary seats for one academic year, reduce the sanctioned intake, restrain the institute concerned from admitting new students in one or more courses for one academic year.

In extreme cases, the Council may withdraw its approval granted to such institutions and their programmes.