Gandhinagar, Jan 31: The Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) is all for active participation of the corporate sector in the management of government-run technical institutes offering degree and diploma courses.Its comprehensive draft policy, under the government's consideration, emphasises information technology and recommends measures to develop and upgrade technical manpower to meet the growing needs of industries and improve the standards of technical education.Endorsing the views of experts of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the DTE has also recommended a Gujarat Institute of Educational Technology and Research (GIETR) to support technical education at all levels. The institute could be an implementing arm of the State Council for Technical Education and Research proposed by the DTE.The DTE has suggested this council for planning and co-ordinating the development of the technical education system. It may also forecast manpower requirement, set and monitor standards for students and staff and advise the government on policy issues through a data bank on technical education in India and abroad.Envisaging active participation of leading industrial houses in the management of government technical institutes, the DTE feels that if this is done, local industries will get quality technical hands trained by these institutes and help reduce the government's financial and adminsitrative liability in running these institutes.A senior DTE official tells Express Newsline that the Chief Minister, the Industries Minister and the Technical Education Minister may initiate efforts and invite leading industrial houses to participate in the management of government-run institutes. For instance, he says, the Reliance Group of Industries having its giants units at Jamnagar and Hazira could be asked to look after the management of government polytechnics in Jamnagar, Porbandar and Surat.Similarly, Tata Telecom having its unit in Gandhinagar could be requested to take over the management of the government polytechnic in the State Capital, while the cash-rich GNFC and GSFC and others should be asked to manage the polytechnics in Bharuch and Vadodara.Even the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation industrial estates of Vapi, Ankleshwar and Mehsana could be requested to take over the management of government technical institutes in their areas.The DTE also advocates promotion of distance learning mode (DLM) of technical education at all levels to satisfy the need of the industrial workforce, which would also help reduce the burden on institution-based learning. It suggests that the number of seats in technical institutes should be increased and new courses introduced to rationalise and restructure the intake to make these institutes cost-effective.The proven certificate level institutions may be upgraded to polytechnics, standard polytechnics be upgraded to degree level colleges and old degree level institutes should support postgraduate studies and research to reduce the high cost-benefit ratio because of the multiple use of infrastructure and manpower in the government technical institutes.
