ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE CONTROL AND INSPECTION
12.01. Organisation of technical education is complex and involves considerable financial outlays and expenditure. In view of this, judicious administrative control is necessary to make the best use of all available resources.' This, in turn calls for firm Central policy-making and planning and also implies consultation and liaison on a continuing basis among a wide group of individuals and organisations. Effective co-ordination at the national level is therefore absolutely necessary.
12.02. The seventh schedule, Union list I entry 66 under Article 24 of the Indian Constitution envisages that in the matter of coordination and determination of Standards in institutions for higher education on research and scientific and technical institutions, Parliament has exclusive power to make, laws. This, in turn, puts the major responsibility for the, proper development of technical education on the Central Government. It follows that there should be a strong machinery at the Centre for discharging its Constitutional obligations and responsibilities in Central. policy-making and planning in respect of technician education. 'this involves continuous study and evaluation of schemes connected with the development of technician education, and consultation and liaison with industry, technical organisations, State Governments etc. in order to ensure that the facilities created in the country are properly utilised according to the manpower requirements of the country as a whole. In this 'context, the Committee recommends that adequate provision should be made to strengthen the present administrative machinery at the centre i.e. the Ministry of Education, for the effective discharge of its responsibilities.
12.03. Technician education cannot be planned on a rigid basis. Flexibility in planning is essential in order that the education may continuously answer the demands and changing needs of local industries and other organisations absorbing technician manpower. There is no doubt that, for planning technical education, a strong national policy is necessary: but such a policy should be flexible enough to permit modification according to the peculiar regional or local needs with reference to the type and level of technicians. Mobility of technicians is another factor which calls for the formulation of Regional and State policies within the overall frame-work of the national policy and plans.
12.04. Considering all these aspects, and in the best interests of the country, the responsibility for the administration and control of technician education should be shared appropriately by bodies at the Central, Regional, State and Unit levels. The responsibilities at each administrative level should be properly defined. The Committee's view on the pattern of administration and allocation of functions and responsibilities at the different levels are discussed below and indicated in the charts in Annexures. 12.1 and 12.2 to this chapter.
12.1. National Level 12.11. The formulation of general national policy and the 'planning, coordination and determination of standards of technician education should rest with the Central Government. Otherwise, a variety of policies may be imposed from various organisations and States which may ultimately be unsuited to the national economy and the needs of industries. In this respect, the All India Council for Technical Education and its Committees and Boards should continue, to act as the advisory machinery to the Government. However, in order to make it more effective, it may be necessary to reorganise the Boards of studies of the All India Council for Technical Education. At present, there is no separate Board of Studies or Committee for tech- nician education. Technician education is being dealt with by the different Boards of Studies of the AICTE dealing with the different aspects of engineering and technology. It is recommended that a separate Committee on Technician Education and Training may be constituted under the auspices of the AR India Council for Technical Education to deal with all aspects of technician education and training at the national level.
12.12. In order to give efficient secretariat help to the Committee proposed above, a separate unit may be created in the Ministry of Education. This unit should also serve as an effective medium for the collection and dissemination of information connected with technician education. it should undertake studies on manpower requirements at the national level including job analysis etc., with reference to educational preparation. It should also collect and analyse information regarding the direction of changes in technology and industrial development in the country and the changes taking place in technician education abroad.
12.2. Regional Level 12.21. The AR India Council for Technical Education has to keep in close touch with the States formulate national policies and plans with due regard to the regional needs and, check the haphazard growth of technician education. In this respect the Regional Committees of the AICTE and the regional
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organisations of the Central Government may have to be reorganised keeping in view their overall responsibility in the administration of technician education vis-a-vis those of the Central and State organisations. The Regional authorities should maintain constant touch with the industries, technical institutions and State Governments located in the region and help to bring about a balanced develepment of technician education in the region according to the demands and needs of the economy and industry. The regional organisations should act as a forum for the exchange of ideas and experiences among the States located in the region.
12.3. State Level 12.31. The Committee, recommends that detailed studies of manpower demands in the State, training in industry, programmes of development, teacher development and administration of polytechnics with respect to financial control and coordination at State level, should be the direct responsibility of the State Government so that programmes and schemes may be effectively implemented. The State Governments should constitute, a separate authority, i.e., the State Council of Technical Awards (SCTA) to be responsible for control and supervision over all academic matters, including approval and development of curricular and academic programmes, co-ordination and maintenance of standards etc. The State Governments may also authorise the SCTA to advise them on various aspects of technician education both academic as well as administrative. The role and functioning of the State Council of Technical Awards have been discussed in detail in Chapter V, para 5.72.
12.4. Unit Level 12.41. In view of the special need for the growth of technician education, it is felt that unless administration and control are decentralised and more autonomy is given to individual institutions, it may not be possible to stimulate the healthy growth of polytechnic education. Therefore it is necessary to delegate sufficient administrative control to the unit level. This has already been discussed in detail under the autonomous institutions (para 5.71). It should be the endeavour of all that, as far as possible, the academic responsibilities and general day-to-day administration should gradually be delegated to the polytechnics authorities. There should be adequate delegation of financial power to the Heads of Polytechnics to function efficiently. This will not only help involve the faculty and administrative authorities of polytechnics in the development of technician education but also make them responsible for the proper implementation of schemes.
12.5. Industry Level 12.51. Apart from the division of responsibilities between the Central and State Governments, there should be some division of responsibilities between the Governments and the industry in the administration and control of technician education. Although the main responsibility to provide the basic technical education at various levels rests with the governments, it is for the industry to build up on this, the training and specialisation it needs. What is needed is a strong partnership and cooperative effort in which the basic and theoretical education are provided through institutional efforts and the practical training and expertise are available through industry. The industry should be involved completely in Me control and administration of technician education, as far as possible at all levels, through the medium of the All India Council for Technical Education, its Regional Committees, the State Councils of Technical Awards and the Advisory Committees of various polytechnics etc.
12.6. Finance 12.61. As regards the financing of polytechnic education the Government has to take the major responsibility both at the Central and State level but industry should also be a party to the financing a, it directly benefits from it. This can be achieved through voluntary efforts. Selected industrial establishments may be persuaded to contribute the necessary funds and facilities for the development of sandwich courses, special types of short-term or exten- sion courses etc. So far as new experiments and innovations in technician education arc concerned, the Central Government should take the entire financial responsibility by sponsoring pilot project and other programmes.
12.7. Evaluation 12.71. Academic evaluation at the State level has been dealt with in detail under the State Council of Technical Awards. At the, National level, adequate 'provision should be made for the evaluation of the entire system to ensure that the money spent is effectively and properly utilised and that proper standards are maintained with regard to the overall national needs. Without a proper feed-back system, it may be difficult to formulate worth-while national policies or -plans to serve, the needs of the national economy.
12.8. Cost Analysis 12.81. As the cost of establishment and maintenance of a polytechnic depends on various factors such as field of studies, type and contents of courses and student strength, it is extremely difficult to give any probable cost analysis for establishing a poly- technic. Therefore the Committee has not attempted to give any analysis of capital costs. It is suggested that whenever a new polytechnic or a new technician course is started the administrative authority concerned should appoint an expert committee With representatives of the concerned industry and faculty to work out the, cost of the project.
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12.82. An analysis of the present expenditure pattern in a polytechnic shows that about 85 per cent of the total recurring expenditure is incurred on the wage bill. Only the remaining 15 per cent which works out to Rs. 120 per student per year, is left for other expenses including consumable stores. This amount is grossly inadequate even to meet the ependiture in providing effective training to students, not to mention the other items of maintenance expenditure. Therefore it is imperative that the annual provision under contingencies, materials etc. should be raised to a minimum of Rs. 300 per student against the provision of Rs. 120 to Rs. 150.
If the recommendations of the Committee made under various chapters are accepted, the annual per capita expenditure (recurring expenditure) may have to be revised to a figure of Rs. 1,700 to Rs. 1,800 The, basis on which this figure has been worked out is given in Annexure 12.3 to this chapter.
ANNEXURE 12.1
PATTERN OF ADMINISTRATION
Government of India Central finance, job analysis,
Manpower estimates, Control
of available placement and
training facilities.
All India Council for Coordinating body for inter-
Technical Education, State matters, consideration of
Committee on Tech- finance from centre.
nician Education and
Training
Regional Committee Body for coordination between
States in the Region.
State Government
Directors of Technical Job analysis, Manpower study
Education State Development planning, Finan-
Board of Technical ced from the State.
Education
State Council of Tech- Independent autonomous
Awards body for Control Inspection,
(SCTA)* Approval, and Maintenance of
Quality and Standards and
Award of Diplomas; Other
advisory functions.
POLYTECHNICS Autonomous with respect to
curriculum framing assessment.
Governing Academic academic experimentation and
Body Board development programmes.
*NOTE :
The SCTA is not an examining body to determine and impose syllabuses on the polytechnic- or to set examinations; the polytech- nics themselves are to he given the responsibility of constructing curricula and conducting examinations. The SCTA in an inspecting and supervising body which works through subject panels, tanding committees and visiting commissions appointed by it.
ANNEXURE 12.2
ALLOCATION OF FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Level of Administration Advisory Bodies and A
Central and Regional Levels
1. Overall plan Ding of tech- All India Council for Technical
cal education vis-a-vis Education/Committee on
Five Year Plans and Per- Technician Education and
spective plans. Training/Regional Committees.
2. National policies and obj- Ministry of Education/Regional
ectives with reference to Offices
coordination of standards
foreign aid etc.
3. Sharing of financial costs.
4. National manpower needs
State Level
1. Programmes of develop- State Board of Technical Edu-
ment, Detailed manpower cation/State Council of Technical
needs; Approval and de- Awards (The State Director of
velopment of curricular Technical Education is to be the
and academic programmes Member-Secretary)
Teacher development ;
Training in industry. (the State Government to de-
termine the manner and method
2. Administration of Poly- of setting up the SCTA and
technics Financing. specify its relationship to the
Coordination of standards State Board of Technical Edu-
at State level. cation.)
Institution Level
(a) Autonomous Polytechnics
1. Day to day administra-
tion.
2. Planning and organization
of academic programmes Governing council Academic
and training industry. Board.
3. Implementation of acade-
mic programmes and
training
(b)Non-Autonomous Poly-
technics
Directorate of Technical Educa-
1. Day today administra- tion/Governing body
tion.
2. Implementation of aca-
demic programmes and
training.
ANNEXURE 12.3
Estimated Annual Recurring Expenditure for a Polytechnic A tentative estimate of the annual recurring expenditure on the running of a polytechnic with an intake capacity of 180 per year has been worked out here based On certain assumptions. It is realized that various factors including the strength of the polytechnic and the number, type and pattern of courses, affect the annual total, as well as per capita, recurring expenditure. Expenditure on
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experimental projects and other special programmes of quality improvement, training etc. has been excluded. The estimate is therefore to be regarded only as a broad guidance for working out the annual recurring expenditure.
The strength of the Polytechnic is assumed to be about 500 to 550 which generally is the case with most of our polytechnics at present. However, the optimum strength of polytechnics could well be of the order of 1,200 to 1800 students, without substantial additional capital outlays.
For purposes of the estimate it has been assumed that the polytechnic offers a total of five courses (including general and diversified courses).
In making the estimate the recommendations made earlier regarding teacher-student ratio and staff pattern have been kept in mind. Accordingly a teacher-student ratio of about 1: 12 and a senior to junior teaching staff ratio of approximately 50:50 have been assumed. Also, provision has been made for a training and placement department, better library-staff and for increased laboratory and office assistance.
Due provision has been made for regular additions to the library (vide the Committee's suggestions, in Annexure 5.5) and for increased expenditure on maintenance, consumable and materials necessary to ensure effective laboratory and workshop training. With regard to the latter, the Committee has recommended earlier [para 5.47 (f)] that a minimum of Rs. 300/- per student should be provided in the annual budget.
Salaries have generally been assumed to be at par with the scales of pay applicable to engineering colleges.
Extra expenditure will have to be allowed if the courses are conducted on the sandwich pattern. In this regard the Ministry of Education (vide D.O. No. 3-5/70 T. 3, dated 4th May 1970 of the Joint Educational Adviser (T) ) has already initiated a, programme in which an allowance of Rs. 150/- p.m, student is made for a 12 month period for each
sandwich course student. This has not been included in the estimate.
Items of Expenditure Amount Total
per annum.
Rs. Rs.
SALARIES AND WAGES
Principal (1) 18,000 ..
Professors(3) 45,000 ..
Assistant Professors(9) 1,08,000 ..
Lecturers (12) 1,15,000 ..
Associate Lecturers (16) 1,25,000 ..
Workshop Instructors/
Demonstrators/ Lab. Assistants
/Draftsman/Lab.Technicians 60,000 ..
Office Staff (including P.A.,
Superintendent, Assistants) 50,000 ..
Skilled workers 35,000 ..
Unskilled worker-, Attenders,
watch & Ward. 32,000 ..
Librarian(1) 10,000 ..
Library Assistants (including
an Assistant Librarian) 12,000 ..
Training & Placement Officer
with an Assistant. 20,000 ..
Physical Education Director
(including attenders) 10,000 ..
Provision for Provident Fund etc.
@ 6 1/4 % 45,000 ..
Total Salaries and Wages. 6,85,000
MAINTENANCE AND MATERIALS
Library additions
(Books and journals). 25,000 ..
Equipment modernizing and
replacement @ 5% of capital
value(approx.) . 50,000 ..
Maintenance including workshop
and laboratory consumables,
materials and contingencies
@ Rs. 300 student. 1,50,000 ..
Total Maintenance and Materials 2,25,000
Total Annual Recurring Expenditure 9,10,000
Annual Recurring Expenditure per student 1,820