Regulator has to strike balance among stakeholders needs, says AICTE chief at IMC@2012

Pursuing and attaining quality, believes SS Matha, chairman of AICTE, should be the guiding force of the Indian education system. Management education, being a part of the larger set-up, must keep itself engaged in the search of the trait as it finds itself a bit tangled in a number of complications.

In his key-note address at the IMC 2012, Mantha touched upon all the issues higher education, admission imbroglio, difference between employability and employment, need to see education in the context of the economy and the role of the regulator that have been impacting the education scenario in general and management institutes and their curricula in particular.

Role of a regulator: Dr Mantha has no hesitation in accepting that the role of a regulator is a tough one to discharge. Though he personally believes that there should not be any regulator (a body can be there to play the role of an enabler), he said that is actually not possible in a society full of inequities. Here, a regulator is required to maintain equilibrium as it is expected to protect the interest of all the stakeholders. Enormity of its responsibilities makes a regulator act in a balanced manner.

Current state of MBA education: Dr Mantha believes that while there is a shake-out in the MBA education space, it is not a cause of worry. Some of the B-schools are closing shops and seats remain vacant in some of them. Its natural and part of an on-going process. New schools will come into being while some of the old ones will shut shop. The trend is prevalent even in the US where barring the top 9-10 institutions, every B-school has seats that remain vacant, sometimes up to 50%, Mantha said.

Expectations from universities & B-schools: To cater to the changing needs of the industry in particular and the society in general, management education should lay stress on quality. According to Dr Mantha, it is only the experienced and able faculty, and not infrastructure or anything that guarantees quality. To keep itself undated and elevate to the next level, research is the only method. The scope of the research should be broadened so that the fruits reach to the maximum number of people.

The AICTE chief did express some specific views on management institutes and their targets. The B-schools should strive to attain quality in every sphere of their activity be it the curriculum, faculty, research or responsibilities towards the society. Being inclusive in nature, these institutions can set goals not only for themselves but for all the stakeholders. He underscored the importance of constant research to attain the desired levels in delivery mechanism.

Focus of AICTE: Mantha said as a regulator, AICTE should primarily focus on the betterment of technical education. But, it has to handle numerous issues in its day-to-day operations. Some of them ideally have no relevance. For example, lenders knock the AICTE door if an institute fails to pay the EMI for the loan it took for setting up the building. However, some are directly related to the stakeholders. When a student or his parents has any complaint against the institution, AICTE often extends its helping hand in sorting out the issue. According to him, the passage of the Mandatory Accreditation Bill will help AICTE a lot in carrying out its responsibilities.

Employability & employment: Dr Mantha said getting a degree/diploma may help get a job, but that is not all. B-schools must do their bit in combining skills with education and ignite the entrepreneurial skills. Employability and employment are not same. Some studies may say that only 25% of the graduates are employable, but in practice, most of them get employed in some way or the other. But, the point is that jobs often are not commensurate with educational qualifications and this often creates dissatisfaction, he said.

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more highlights from 3rd Indian Management Conclave 2012.