The Bombay high court, on Friday, refused to stay directives issued by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) instructing all university vice-chancellors to implement new rules for management institutes. The new rule prohibits conducting post-graduate diploma in business management (PGDBM) course in the institute where other management courses like masters in business administration (MBA) and masters in management studies (MMS) are also conducted.

The division bench of Justice SS Shinde and Virendrasingh Bisht said it cannot pass interim order without allowing AICTE to file an affidavit in reply to the petition filed by the Association of Indian Management Schools. In all, 367 institutes offer PGDBM course in Maharashtra.

The Association of Management Institutes has moved high court challenging validity of AICTE’s approval process handbook for 2020-21, which requires PGDBM course to be conducted on a standalone basis and have instructed management institutes to set up new institutes for running PGDBM courses. It has also challenged February 10, 2020 instructions of AICTE to all university vice-chancellors to implement the norms.

Its counsel, senior advocate VA Thorat, argued that the changes introduced by AICTE for management education through the approval process handbook for 2020-21 were “drastic and disastrous.” Claiming that most of the management institutes would not be able to meet the new requirements, he urged the court to stay the new requirements relating to the PGDBM course.

He pointed out that the AICTE wanted management institutes to set up new institutes for PGDBM courses and apart from other infrastructure and facilities, half an acre land is required for setting up new institute. “In Mumbai at least ₹500 crore will be required for fulfilling only this condition,” the senior advocate said, adding, “These utopian ideas are not capable for implementation.”

Counsel for AICTE said all the apprehensions expressed by the petitioner association were unfounded and the association has tried to corner the regulatory body by filing the petition at the eleventh hour.

The bench has granted AICTE time till March 12 for filing a reply to the petition.

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