A REVIEW OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF POLYTECHNIC EDUCATION
2.01. Although the history of technician education in our country can be traced back to over 150 years, unfortunately very little growth or development took place prior to Independence. The growth of technical education depends on the socioeconomic and industrial conditions of the country and its development is controlled by the needs and requirements of the economy. Therefore, it is not_ surprising that technical education, particularly technician education, did not make much progress prior to Independence.
2.02. In 1947, the country was faced with the great challenge of rapidly industrializing the predominantly agricultural economy. In order to do so, the country had to build up its technical education system within a short period. Perhaps one of out most remarkable achievements since Independence has been the phenomenal growth of technical education. In 1947, there were about 53 institutions conducting technician courses (diploma courses) with a total admission capacity of about 3,700 students per year; the total out-turn from these institutions was of the order of 1,500 per year. The number of institutions offering technician courses (diploma courses) was progressively raised to 284 by 1966. The total annual intake capacity was increased to about 49,000 and the annual out-turn to about 23,500. Owing to the recess ion during the period 1965 to 1967, the admission to Polytechnics (from the year 1968) was restricted to about 37,000. However, the actual intake came down to the order of 27,000 and the level of admission has remained more or less the same since then.
2.03. In addition to the 284 Polytechnics, there are about 22 Polytechnics functioning throughout the country catering exclusively for girls. These polytechnics offer a wide range of courses. The annual admission capacity of these institutions is approximately 2,200.
2.04. Three patterns of courses have so far been evolved for technician education: (1) three-year full-time courses, (2) two-year full-time courses, and (3) sandwich courses. About 94 per cent of the polytechnics (excluding the girls' polytechnics) offer the three-year full-time diploma courses.
2.1. Survey and Distribution of Polytechnics. 2.11. The State-wise distribution of polytechnics and the subject-wise distribution of facilities are, given in Tables 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, and 2.4 It may be observed that 92 'per cent of the student body of the polytechnics (excluding the girls polytechnics) is at present distributed only in the three major fields of engineering, viz., civil, electrical and mechanical
2.12. A State-wise list of polytechnics with their annual admission capacity, out-turn for 1969, subject fields and locations is furnished in Appendix No. 4.
2.2. Existing Organisational. Pattern. 2.21. With the phenomenal expansion of all sectors of education since, Independence, the administration of education has become complex. During the post-independence period several new dimensions have been added to the functions and responsibilities of Government in policy-making, co-ordination and fulfilment of national targets in education. In this process technical education has received special emphasis.
2.22. The All India Council for Technical Education was constituted in November, 1945 to advise the Government of India on all aspects of technical education. It consists of representatives of the Union and State Governments, Parliament, associations in the fields of business, industry, labour and education, and professional bodies. Though the Council is an advisory body, experience shows that its recommendations have, by and large, been accepted in the past by the Union and State Governments. The four Regional Committees of the Council, each covering a group of States, have their offices at Kanpur, Madras, Bombay and Calcutta and assist the, A.I.C.T.E.
2.23. The All India Council for Technical Education has set up eight Boards of Technical Studies in different branches of engineering, technology, management etc., to advise the Council on such matters as the preparation of model courses of studies, and the specification and regulation of standards in the respective subject fields.
2.24. Tehnical education is normally administered by the Education Departments of State Governments. In some cases, however, it is being administered by other departments such as Department of Industries or Public Works Department etc. On the recommendation of the All India Council for Technical Education, each State, has set up a State Board of Technical Education. Most of the State Governments have also established separate Directorates for the effective administration of technical education.
2.25. The activities of the polytechnics in each State are coordinated through the concerned State Board of Technical Education within the overall national policies formulated by the, All India Council for Technical Education. The Directorate of Technical Education is responsible for the administration and inspection of the polytechnics and provides secretariat assistance to the State Board of Technical Education which conducts the examinations and awards the diplomas.
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2.26. At present, about 70 per cent of the polytechnics are run by State Governments and the rest by private agencies or autonomous bodies.
2.27. Perhaps one, of the weakest links in the development of technical education at present is the system of evaluation, inspection and feed back. Neither at the national nor at the State levels, is there an adequate machinery for the systematic evaluation of the work and progress of different institutions. In the absence of such a machinery there has been very little feed back of information which is very necessary to make the technical education system more sensitive to the needs.
2.3. Employment and Collaboration with Industry 2.31. The Survey of Industries which has been carried out on behalf ;of the Committee reveals that only 36 per cent of the positions at the middle level in industry are occupied by diploma holders, 48 per cent being hold by persons, who have risen from the craftsmen level and about 16 per cent by engineering graduates. It is clear that although there is unemployment among the diploma holders, there is at the same time a tendency in industry to assign a significant proportion of technician positions to persons without formal qualifications but with job experience at the craftsman level. The Survey further reveals that the products of polytechnics do not and cannot straightway fit into job situations in industry, because the education and training which are now being imparted at the polytechnics are not sufficiently industry or practice-oriented.
2.32. The main reason for such an anomalous situation is perhaps the lack of collaboration between industry and the polytechnics. There is a tendency for the polytechnics to grow in isolation.
2.4. Need for Qualitative Improvement 2.41. An analysis of the current unemployment among engineering graduates and diploma holders was recently made by the Institute of Applied Manpower Research. It revealed that out of the 56,700 persons estimated to be, unemployed by the end of 1968, as many as over 46,000 were diploma holders. According to the data available from the Employment Exchanges, for every engineering graduate registered as unemployed, there are 5 unemployed diploma holders even though the annual out-turn of graduates and diploma holders is in the proportion of approximately, 1:2.
2.42. One of the factors leading to this increasing unemployment among diploma holders is reported to be the deficiencies of the present polytechnic courses vis-a-vis the requirements of industry. The shortcomings of these courses as revealed by the Corn- mittee's Survey of Industries are described in Chapter IV. The Committee would like to stress in this context the need to accord a much higher priority in technician education development to the qualitative improvement of courses and consolidation of existing institutions rather than to quantitative expansion.
2.43. It is also relevant here to refer to an assessment, by the Institute of Applied Manpower Research, of the demand for engineers during the Fifth Plan period. Assuming that the economy will grow at an annual rate of 5.5 per cent during the Fourth Plan and 6 per cent during the Fifth Plan, as postulated by the Planning Commission, the overall demand for engineering graduates and diploma holders in 1978-79 is expected to be met with the current levels of admissions in technical institutions. It will also be possible to meet any additional demands of a marginal nature within the overall sanctioned intake capacity in the existing institutions.
2.44. The Committee is therefore of the view, that, at least for the next five years, there would be no need to consider the establishment of new polytechnics. As for the intake capacity of existing technics, the position may be reviewed after three years and any changes necessary may be made so as to meet the actual needs. The resources available in the current Five Year Plans of the States and the Ministry of Education and Youth Services should be devoted to programmes aiming at qualitative improvement of technician education on the lines suggested in this Report.
2.45. At the same time, efforts should be made to prepare realistic estimates of the demand for technicians for the Sixth and subsequent plans, region-wise and by specialities and types of technician functions in industry, commerce, services and public utilities, so that appropriate programmes of educational development could be formulated and included in the Fifth Five Year Plan.
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TABLE 2.1
Statewise distribution of polytechnics (excluding Girls polytechnics)
as in the year 1969-70.
Institutions Institutions Institutions
S. No. State Conducting conducting conducting
3-Year 2-Year sandwich
courses courses courses
1 Andhra Pradesh 18 1 1
2 Assam 6 .. ..
3 Bihar 14 .. ..
4 Chandigarh 1 .. ..
5 Delhi 3 .. ..
6 Goa 1 .. ..
7 Gujarat 17 .. ..
8 Haryana 6 .. 1
9 Himachal Pradesh 2 .. ..
10 Jammu & Kashmir 2 .. ..
11 Kerala 16 .. ..
12 Madhya Pradesh 22 .. ..
13 Maharashtra 24 2 ..
14 Manipur 1 .. ..
15 Mysore 27 .. ..
16 Orissa 6 .. 1
17 Pondicherry 1 .. ..
18 Punjab 10 .. 1
19 Rajasthan 6 .. ..
20 Tamil Nadu 27 .. 3
21 Tripura 1 .. ..
22 Uttar Pradesh 33 3 ..
23 West Bengal 23 2 2
TOTAL 267 8 9
TOTAL 284
NOTE : Government Polytechnic, Hyderabad (A.P.) also offers the two year diploma course.
TABLE 2.2
Subject-wise distribution of capacity together with total
intake and out-turn for the year 1969-70
(excluding Girls' Polytechnics)'
Maximum Admission out
S. No. Subject area in-take 1969-70 1969-70
capacity
as in
1966
1 Civil 15,190 6,402 4,812
2 Mechanical 16,339 9,194 8,905
3 Electrical 13,395 7,460 6,035
4 Electronics/Telecom/
Radio Engg. 350 290 223
5 Mining 400 154 95
6 Metallurgy 240 166 86
7 Automobile 497 414 243
8 Textile 493 413 280
9 Leather Technology 95 112 59
10 Paper and Pulp Technology 50 40 54
11 Printing Technology 385 409 207
12 Textile Chemistry . 95 55 49
13 Chemical Operator
Chemical Engg.. 180 220 147
14 Pharmacy & Dressers
course 400 478 219
15 Ceramics 64 34 24
16 Sound. 61 68 23
17 Refrigeration 40 59 35
18 Production Engg. 190 6 9*
19 Industrial Engg. .. 6 5*
20 Architectural Assistant-
ship. 60 68 11
21 Town Planning 20 20 18**
22 Industrial Electronics. .. 10*** ..
TOTAL 48,544 26,078 21,539
*1 1/2 years post-diploma course at the PSG Polytechnic, Coimbatore.
** 1 year post-diploma course at the Central Polytechnic, Madras.
*** Allahabad Polytechnic, 1969.
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TABLE 2.3
State-wise distribution of Girls' Polytechnics as in the Year
1969-70
Institutions Institutions
Sl. State conducting conducting Remarks
No. 3-year 2-year
course course
1 Andbra Pradesh 3 .. Also offers 2-year
courses in Commercial
Practice and
Pharmacy.
2 Assam 1 .. Also offers 2 -years
course in Secretarial
Practice
3 Bihar .. .. ..
4 Chandigarh 1 .. Also offers 2-years
courses in Commercial
Practice, Pharmacy &
Library Science.
5 Delhi 1 .. Also offers 2-year
courses in Secreta-
rial,Practice,
Library Science &
Laboratory
Technology.
6 Goa .. .. ..
7 Gujarat. 2 .. Also offers 2-year
course in Secret-
arial Practice.
8 Haryana .. 1 ..
9 Himachal Pra-
desh .. .. ..
10 Jammu and
Kashmir .. .. ..
11 Kerala 3 .. Also offers 2 years
course in Commer-
cial Practice.
12 Madhya Pra-
desh 1 .. Also offers 2 year
courses in Secreta-
rial Practice and
Laboratory
Technology.
13 Maharashtra .. .. ..
14 Manipur .. .. ..
15 Mysore 1 .. Also offers 2-year
course in commer-
cial Pratice and
Library Science.
16 Orissa .. .. ..
17 Pondicherry .. .. ..
18 Punjab .. .. ..
19 Rajasthan 2 .. Also offers 2-year
course in Library
Science
20 Tamil Nadu 3 .. Also offers 2-Year
course in Commer-
cial Practice.
21 Tripura .. .. ..
22 Uttar Pradesh 2 .. Also offers 2-year
course in Secret-
arial practice
23 West Bengal 1 .. ..
21 1
TOTAL 22
TABLE 2.4
Subject-wise distribution of capacity, together with total intake
and out-turn for the year 1969-70
(Girls' Polytechnics)
S. No. Subject Area Sanctioned Admission Out-turn
Intake (1969-70) (1969-70)
(1969-70)
1. Electronics 420 329 141
2. Secretarial Practice 300 304 123
3. Interior Decoration and
Display 55 36 15
4. Library Science 145 135 86
5. Medical Laboratory
Technology 40 29 18
6. Commercial Arts. 25 29 18
7. Architectural
Assistantship 180 96 84
8. Commercial Practice
and Stenography 300 424 116
9. Pharmacy . 150 162 12
10. Costume Design 245 163 77
11. Civil/Draughtsmanship. 300 202 67
12. Catering 30 44 ..
TOTAL 2,190 1,953 757