The Department of Higher Education, Government of Punjab, has urged the Ministry of Education, Government of India, to grant colleges affiliated with Panjab University, Chandigarh, Punjabi University, Patiala, and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, offering BBA/BCA and other professional courses, a one-year extension to apply to the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE), New Delhi. Additionally, they have requested that the deadline for application submission and adherence to AICTE norms be extended until March 31st.
According to notification number D.No. 815/College Education/DHE dated March 7th, the Punjab Government has received representations from colleges affiliated with respective universities. These colleges have been offering BBA and BCA courses with approval and adherence to the norms set by their respective universities for the past 20-25 years, and they were not previously under the purview of AICTE.Previously, Dr. Anshu Kataria, President of the Federation of Self Financing Technical Institutions (FSFTI), All India, and Punjab Unaided Colleges Association (PUCA), had appealed to AICTE regarding the exclusion of BBA, BCA, and BMS courses from its purview since the enactment of the AICTE act in 1987. He stated, “After almost 4 decades, suddenly bringing BBA and BCA Colleges under its ambit is shocking.” Affiliated colleges under Panjab, Punjabi, and Guru Nanak Dev University have expressed concerns that the successful operation of BBA and BCA courses may be jeopardized by any move to derecognize them, impacting the efforts of the State Government and the implementation of NEP 2020 to ensure a multidisciplinary approach in the education system.
