Karnataka high court stays AICTE’s new online method

The high court on Thursday stayed the decision of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to grant approval to polytechnic colleges through a new online method, for academic year 2011-12.

Justice Abdul Nazeer was hearing a petition filed by the Karnataka Private Polytechnics Association challenging the new method of giving approvals to polytechnics and engineering diploma courses and enhancement of fees for various approval processes through online.

The petitioners also challenged the increase in the fee to Rs1.5 lakh from Rs25,000 earlier for certain approvals.

The petitioners further submitted that the AICTE had informed the polytechnics of the e-governance system being made mandatory for 2011-12 for all approval processes through a public notice on December 24 last.

The association submitted that the institutions had given their applications through the department of technical education for extension of approval and other purposes to the state. They had done this with a fee of Rs25, 000 and contended that they cannot shift to the e-governance system now.

Hence, justice Nazeer granted a stay on the new online method.