Latest news with #T.G.Sitharam
The Hindu
16-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
A.P. firm inks pact with AICTE to offer online courses to students, professionals
The Artificial Intelligence Medical and Engineering Researchers Society (AIMERS) has entered into a strategic partnership with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under the Government of India's NEAT 5.0 (National Educational Alliance for Technology) initiative. This collaboration is aimed at delivering high-quality, accessible, and industry-aligned online courses to students, professionals, and institutions across India. The MoU was formally signed by founder and president of AIMERS Sai Satish in the presence of the AICTE Chairman T.G. Sitharam, former Chairman of AICTE and Chairman of National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) Anil D. Sahasrabudhe and Chief Coordinating Officer, NEAT Buddha Chandrasekhar, in New Delhi on Wednesday (July 16, 2025). As part of this initiative, AIMERS will offer courses in Cybersecurity: Defensive and Offensive Strategies, Natural Language Processing with Generative AI and in Computer Vision for Smart Applications through the NEAT platform. These courses are designed by subject-matter experts from academia and industry, ensuring that the curriculum meets real-world skill requirements and enhances job readiness. The content includes hands-on projects, case studies, and AI-driven toolkits to provide learners with practical exposure. Speaking on the occasion, Prof. T.G. Sitharam emphasised the role of emerging technologies in national development. 'Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, and automation are the building blocks of a future-ready India. NEAT 5.0 aims to bring these technologies to every student, breaking barriers of location and affordability. This collaboration with AIMERS will play a key role in making future tech education scalable and impactful,' he said. President of AIMERS Society Sai Satish said their firm was committed to empowering students and professionals with cutting-edge skills that meet both national priorities and global standards. AIMERS is a national-level professional body based out of Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. It is focused on research, education, and skill development in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and interdisciplinary engineering. The society works closely with academic institutions, government organisations, and industry leaders to deliver high-impact training, consulting, and innovation programmes.
India Gazette
27-06-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
Empowering India's Workforce: The AICTE Working Professional Scheme
By Prof. T.G. Sitharam, Chairman, Aicte New Delhi [India], June 27 (ANI): In a nation as dynamic as India, the journey of professional growth is often marked by personal sacrifices. Many young aspirants are compelled to pause their formal education midway to shoulder financial responsibilities or seize immediate job opportunities. Recognising the untapped potential of such individuals, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has pioneered a transformative initiative--the Working Professional Scheme for Engineering and Management--which enables working individuals to re-enter the educational mainstream without disrupting their current employment. AICTE's Working Professional Scheme is designed with one clear objective: to empower those who had to prioritise work over education and now wish to uplift their careers through formal qualifications and upgraded skills. This initiative, aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, reaffirms our commitment to lifelong learning, industry integration, and inclusive technical education. What sets this scheme apart is its flexibility and inclusivity. It is designed specifically for working professionals--whether in the public sector, private industry, or self-employed. Evening classes, weekend sessions, and blended learning models (online + offline) allow aspirants to continue education alongside employment. Notably, the maximum permissible distance between a learner's workplace/residence and the institute has been extended to 75 kilometres, enhancing accessibility. The AICTE Working Professional Scheme is operational across 290 institutes in 28 states and UTs, offering more than 828 approved programs across Diploma, Undergraduate (UG), and Postgraduate (PG) levels in both Engineering & Computer Science and Management (MBA & PGDM). Maharashtra leads the chart with 57 institutes, offering 158 programs, followed by Tamil Nadu (52 institutes, 170 programs) and Kerala (21 institutes, 54 programs). Odisha, Gujarat, Telangana, and Karnataka also show strong institutional participation. Programme-Level Highlights Diploma Programs (Engineering & CS): Offered by 241 institutes, with states like Odisha (33), Maharashtra (43), and Kerala (24) being key contributors. Undergraduate Programs (Engineering & CS): The most widely offered, with 394 courses across 28 states. Tamil Nadu alone offers 101 UG courses. Postgraduate Programs (Engineering & CS): Offered in 193 programs, with Tamil Nadu (41) and Maharashtra (22) leading. Management UG/PG (MBA, PGDM, HM): Offered in 63 programs, with states like Maharashtra (18) and Karnataka (5) actively participating. A total of 26,814 seats were offered under this scheme in 2024-25, but only 3,435 enrollments were recorded. This reveals a critical awareness gap that must be addressed through strategic outreach, industry collaboration, and media campaigns. AICTE firmly believes that with greater outreach and promotion, the upcoming academic sessions should witness full capacity utilisation. This unique opportunity offers working individuals a valuable second chance to enhance their qualifications and accelerate their career growth without compromising their current responsibilities. To all those who have dreamt of resuming their educational journey, this is your moment. The Working Professional Scheme is not just a second chance; it is a bold leap forward. It empowers working individuals to earn a recognised diploma or degree in Engineering or Management, upgrade technical skills, qualify for promotions or new roles and transition into emerging sectors or start entrepreneurial ventures AICTE urges more institutions to adopt this program and industry leaders to encourage their workforce to enrol. Together, we can build a reskilled, future-ready workforce that strengthens India's economic and innovation ecosystem. The AICTE Working Professional Scheme is a testament to the Council's commitment to equitable, inclusive, and flexible education. It ensures that education doesn't stop when life begins--it evolves with it. Let us join hands to ensure no professional is left behind, and every individual finds a meaningful path to grow, contribute, and succeed. (ANI) Disclaimer: Prof. T.G. Sitharam is Chairman, AICTE. The views expressed in this article are his own.
The Hindu
29-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Employees' body seeks AICTE probe into ‘irregularities' in some engineering colleges in A.P.
Members of the Andhra Pradesh Technical and Professional Institutions Employees Association (APTPIEA) have urged the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to look into 'gross irregularities' resorted to by some of the private deemed to be universities in the State. In a letter addressed to the AICTE Chairman T.G. Sitharam on Thursday (May 29), the association president M.V. Bramhananda Reddy alleged that some institutions were resorting to practices that compromised the integrity and quality of technical education. They alleged that certain universities offered online and distance learning programmes without proper regulatory approval or in a manner that violated the University Grants Commission (UGC) and AICTE norms. Accusing them of manipulating student attendance, internal assessments and backdate registrations to produce dishonest academic outcomes, Mr. Reddy said some institutions claimed inflated placement statistics and misled stakeholders, hiding the actual employment status of their graduates. They often imposed hidden charges under various heads, thrusting a huge financial burden on students, he alleged. The association leader said many Ph.D. candidates had reported lack of proper guidelines, alleged unethical publication practices and delay in the evaluation of their thesis, undermining the spirit of quality research. The association leader urged the AICTE to probe the academic credibility of such institutions and take appropriate action against those found violating the rulebook. The association leaders have also alleged irregularities in the inspection procedures in engineering colleges affiliated to Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU)-Kakinada. They said it had come to their notice that a college principal held a fake Ph.D and continues to be shown as an M. Tech student in regular stream from the same college. The members said the college also did not have sufficient ratified faculty as per the requirement. Accusing irregularities in allocation of Ph.D guides and in grant of autonomous status to colleges without following due diligence, they demanded that the authorities concerned conduct a re-inspection of the colleges that were granted autonomy under JNTU-Kakinada.
The Hindu
11-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Tamil Nadu way ahead of the rest of the country in Gross Enrolment Ratio: AICTE Chairman
With more than half the students in Tamil Nadu who pass the higher secondary exam enrolling themselves into colleges, the State has already achieved what the whole country aims to do by the year 2035, Prof. T.G. Sitharam, Chairman, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) said here today. Addressing students on the graduation day of St. Joseph's College of Engineering and St. Joseph's College of Technology in Chennai, Prof. Sitharam said Tamil Nadu has a Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of more than 50 per cent in higher education, while in the rest of the country it was only 29 per cent. He said the State has done remarkably well in engineering education, while underscoring the role played by the private institutions towards improving the GER. Prof. Sitharam said while degrees are important, upskilling is a priority in the world of technological disruptions. Whether it is Artificial Intelligence, generative AI, cyber security, robotics, or blockchain, these disruptions are changing the way people thought or worked. 'In this world of disruptions, you have to be constantly self-aware and keep up with these technologies,' he asserted, adding that besides picking up domain skills, students should also be prepared to pick up soft skills or any form of art or music to protect themselves from technological disruptions. Later, talking to reporters, Prof. Sitharam said that the NITI Aayog, in collaboration with the AICTE and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), has launched an initiative titled DX-EDGE (Digital Excellence for Growth and Enterprise) to digitally and technologically empower Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME). This could mean that out of the eight crore MSMEs in the country, a large number of them could benefit from the use of AI that could have a 20 to 30 per cent increase in revenue. When asked if the AICTE considered drawing up an ethical framework for the use of AI, Prof. Sitharam said putting up guardrails could limit innovation. Instead, higher learning institutions should inculcate a culture of ethics among students on how to use AI, when to use it and full disclosure on usage. A total of 2,374 students of batches of 2023 and 2024 graduated from the St. Joseph's College of Engineering while 1,046 students of batches of 2023 and 2024 graduated from St. Joseph's College of Technology.
India Gazette
09-05-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
AICTE launches 500 Online ATAL Faculty Development Programs
New Delhi [India], May 9 (ANI): The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has launched 500 Online ATAL Faculty Development Programs (FDPs) for the financial year 2025-26. The program was inaugurated by Prof. T.G. Sitharam, Chairman of AICTE, at the AICTE headquarters in New Delhi. Vice Chairman Dr. Abhay Jere and Member Secretary Prof. Rajive Kumar also graced the occasion. The Council has already launched 500 offline FDPs for the year 2025-26. According to an official release, in his inaugural address, Prof. Sitharam emphasized the significance of FDPs in imparting quality training to faculty members, postgraduate students and research scholars. He highlighted the importance of acquiring sound domain knowledge and relevant skill sets to apply in real-life scenarios with industry connections. He further stated that this initiative demonstrates AICTE's commitment to promoting continuous professional development and enhancing the quality of technical education in India. Dr. Abhay Jere remarked, 'Since we have lectures by specialists in emerging areas during the FDPs, we should create a repository of some of the best lectures on our website so that others can also benefit from them.' The online FDPs aim to foster a culture of continuous professional development, with 500 programs proposed to be conducted this year. Each program will be a six-day online course covering various emerging areas, including Advanced Materials, Semiconductors, Space and Defense, the Blue Economy, and more. All Higher Education Institutions are eligible to apply for the Online ATAL FDPs. AICTE will provide a grant-in-aid of Rupees 1 lakh per FDP on reimbursement basis. These programs will benefit faculty members by enhancing their knowledge and skills, which they can further impart to their students. The application portal will open on May 10, 2025. Interested institutions may submit their applications until June 01, 2025. The 17 emerging areas covered under this FDP initiative are Advanced Materials, Rare-earth & Critical Minerals, Semiconductors, Space and Defense, Blue / Green Economy, High Performance Computing, Energy, Sustainability & Climate Change, Advanced Computing (Supercomputing, AI, and Data Science), Next Gen Communications, Smart Cities & Mobility and Agritech & Food Processing. It also includes Healthcare & Med-Tech, Disaster Management & Resilient Infrastructure, Manufacturing & Industry 4.0, Quantum Technologies, Hydrogen Energy, Cyber-Physical Systems and Cybersecurity and other emerging areas. (ANI)
