![[JUGRAJ SINGH]](https://www.unp.me/data/avatars/m/123/123038.jpg?1591210006){kind=avatar}
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday came down heavily on the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for delay in granting approval to technical institutes which caused delay in academic sessions and warned it of dire consequences if it failed to comply with the timeline fixed by the court.
The council found itself at the receiving end for not taking timely decision on approval of 621 technical institutes in Uttar Pradesh. As per the timeline fixed by the apex court, AICTE was supposed to take a decision by April 10 but it delayed the process and passed the order of approval only on May 7.
Taking strong exception to the council not complying with its order and delaying approvals, a bench of Justices P C Ghose and Amitava Roy directed AICTE to file response within a week why it should not be held up for contempt of court.
"Don't take us for granted. We will be extremely ruthless with you. We will call your officers and start contempt proceedings. Don't play hide and seek with us. We are not sitting here for nothing," the bench said and directed the counsel appearing for AICTE to explain why there was a month's delay in granting approvals .
The apex court had in 2012 fixed a schedule for granting approval and affiliation to technical education institutions to ensure that there was no delay in academic session. It had also fixed a schedule for conducting entrance examinations and admission process. It had ordered that admission process must be completed by July 31 and academic session must begin from August 1.
Despite the apex court's order for strict adherence to the schedule for grant of approval as well as for admissions, the direction is not being implemented in letter and spirit, with authorities failing to adhere to the timeline and the colleges having to approach the SC every year against AICTE for not taking decision on time.
Slamming it for working "casually" in granting approval to colleges, the court said there was a serious lapse on the part of AICTE and it may be directed to pay cost for playing with the careers of thousands of students in 621 institutes in UP.
"You change our order every year. How can AICTE tinker with the timeline fixed by us? We are the final authority on this issue. We cannot tolerate defiance of our order and we will take action against officers of AICTE for violating our orders. Let the officers learn a lesson," the bench said.
The council found itself at the receiving end for not taking timely decision on approval of 621 technical institutes in Uttar Pradesh. As per the timeline fixed by the apex court, AICTE was supposed to take a decision by April 10 but it delayed the process and passed the order of approval only on May 7.
Taking strong exception to the council not complying with its order and delaying approvals, a bench of Justices P C Ghose and Amitava Roy directed AICTE to file response within a week why it should not be held up for contempt of court.
"Don't take us for granted. We will be extremely ruthless with you. We will call your officers and start contempt proceedings. Don't play hide and seek with us. We are not sitting here for nothing," the bench said and directed the counsel appearing for AICTE to explain why there was a month's delay in granting approvals .
The apex court had in 2012 fixed a schedule for granting approval and affiliation to technical education institutions to ensure that there was no delay in academic session. It had also fixed a schedule for conducting entrance examinations and admission process. It had ordered that admission process must be completed by July 31 and academic session must begin from August 1.
Despite the apex court's order for strict adherence to the schedule for grant of approval as well as for admissions, the direction is not being implemented in letter and spirit, with authorities failing to adhere to the timeline and the colleges having to approach the SC every year against AICTE for not taking decision on time.
Slamming it for working "casually" in granting approval to colleges, the court said there was a serious lapse on the part of AICTE and it may be directed to pay cost for playing with the careers of thousands of students in 621 institutes in UP.
"You change our order every year. How can AICTE tinker with the timeline fixed by us? We are the final authority on this issue. We cannot tolerate defiance of our order and we will take action against officers of AICTE for violating our orders. Let the officers learn a lesson," the bench said.
