PASIGHAT, 22 Jan: Policy-, administrative- and infrastructure-related challenges affecting the polytechnic and technical institutions across the state were discussed during a meeting of the Arunachal Pradesh Technical Teachers’ Association (APTTA) at the Government Polytechnic College here in East Siang district on Wednesday.
A major concern raised was the long-pending demand for separation of technical education from the Directorate of Higher and technical Education (DHTE).
Key points discussed during the meeting included inclusion of APTTA in policymaking with respect to technical education in the state; development of infrastructures and modern facilities in government polytechnic colleges (GPCs); appointment of ministerial, teaching and non-teaching staffers at GPCs; appointment of regular principals and HoDs; intake/enrolment of students in GPCs and abolishment of Ministry of Human Resource Development seats; reservation of APST seats; the upcoming degree-level engineering colleges in Tezu and Toru; extension of All India Council for Technical Education benefits to institutions and employees; grant of study leave to interested faculty members for qualification upgradation and upgradation of professional knowledge; empowering the college development committee and the principal; and poor quality of infrastructure works at GPCs.
The APTTA reiterated its demand for establishing a separate directorate of technical education by bifurcating technical education from the DHTE, “in line with 25 out of 28 states in India.”
“A separate directorate will enable better management and coordination of technical education institutions, ultimately leading to improved quality of technical education, and enhanced employability of our youths, technical experts, and academic leaders to guide and implement policy decisions of the government,” the association stated in a release.
