Over 5,800 BBA, BCA colleges now AICTE-approved but 33% yet to comply

NEW DELHI: As many as 5,814 institutions have secured approval for their Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA), and Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS) courses from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

Despite initial resistance, 74% of institutions in Maharashtra have applied for and received AICTE approval. Around 75% of institutions in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are similarly cleared. Still, close to 3,000 institutions – a third of the total – are still holding out as concerns regarding AICTE’s teaching and infrastructure norms persist.

In a major policy shift, the three undergraduate professional programmes were brought within the purview of the AICTE, India’s top technical education regulator. Across states, these three programmes are offered in 8,795 institutions. BCA is offered in 4,567 institutions, BBA in 4,037 and just 191 institutes offer the BMS course.

The AICTE framed guidelines for all existing non-technical institutes offering BCA, BMS and BBA degree programmes and for the new ones which intended to start. It also drafted model curricula for these.

Speaking to Careers360, AICTE member secretary Rajive Kumar said, “The number of institutions offering these courses and seeking approval from AICTE will increase… Since we had been getting requests from institutions, we again opened the portal for institutes to apply with late fees till September 30. Since it is the first year, we have also provided flexibility as there is no cap on seat intake or in terms of stringent infrastructure requirements. ”

Earlier as well, the council had extended several deadlines.

BCA, BBA Degree: New AICTE regulations

As per the AICTE norms, standalone institutions, affiliating colleges and deemed-to-be universities - but not universities – need the regulator’s approval to run these courses.

For instance, Delhi University colleges offer three management courses at the undergraduate level – BMS, BBA and Bachelor for Financial Investment and Analysis (BFIA). As these colleges are DU’s constituent colleges, AICTE approval is not necessary.

On the other hand, colleges affiliated to state-run Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University – whether government or private – need AICTE approval.

Kumar added, “The universities, if they want, can apply for approval. Getting approval…will allow them to avail several benefits like scholarships for girl students, internship opportunities and grants. We have also started with the faculty development training for these courses and a model curriculum has also been released.”

The body will also frame guidelines on faculty and infrastructure requirements for these courses in line with National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

BBA Colleges: Distribution across states

The table below shows the details of the institutions in 10 states which have received approvals for BBA, BCA and BMS courses.

Number of courses approved: 10 states

Among the institutions in the three categories for which AICTE approval is required, Gujarat has no institution offering the BMS course. None of the states in the northeast also have institutions offering this management course. Interestingly, Manipur is not part of the AICTE list at all.

In almost every state, BCA is offered in most institutions. However, for Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Kerala, the number of BBA colleges is on the higher end. In Delhi there are 43 BBA colleges as against 28 BCA ones. While in Kerala, 358 offer BBA and 295, BCA course.

While rarer than the other two, BMS is most popular in Maharashtra with 164 institutions offering it, followed by Bihar and Tamil Nadu, with five institutions each. AICTE data reveals that only 13 states and UTs offer the course.

Concerns: Teachers, infra, admissions

About a third of the impacted institutions are yet to seek approval. As per AICTE, only Maharashtra had officially objected to the regulations.

“That was the initial reaction. But a large number of institutions have already applied for approval. Some of them had tried to change the nomenclature and name of the course to remain outside the purview of AICTE, but students were not in favour of it. Many institutions changed the nomenclature and then withdrew it,” said Kumar.

The nomenclature of the BMS course was changed to BCom Management.

TA Shiware, chairman, Association of Non-Government Colleges, said that the largest section to apply for AICTE approval was of autonomous colleges.

“The approval taken is also in hybrid mode as many are also waiting to change the nomenclature. There are several problems with taking AICTE approval. Right now, two to three teachers teach the course – AICTE norms say nine approved teachers. There is a need for a separate library and other infrastructure. Importantly, colleges have a finance committee which decides on the fees. If it is part of the AICTE, there will be a fee regulation committee,” said Shiware.

This year, a common entrance test – the MAH CET – was conducted for these courses. Earlier, admissions were based on the Class 12 marks.

According to a Times of India report, the government had received registration from close to 1,000 colleges with a combined intake of 1 lakh for the centralised admission process. About 48,000 appeared in the first round of CET held in May, and over 49,000 in August.

Shiware said that due to these problems, the admission process has also been delayed.

Mohammad Farooq Pasha, general secretary, Bangalore University Council for Commerce and Management, said, “AICTE has a set of rules which only few colleges are able to cater to. Even the application and approval process was difficult and so, they have taken help from agencies. Even the fees being charged for approval is high and the process has to be complied with every year.”

On the other hand, AICTE stated that there are few states which have put requests for increasing the intake.

“When institutions in Haryana applied for approval, it was with an intake of 40 seats. Now they want to increase it. Even Odisha has accepted the curriculum and is implementing it,” said Kumar.

Model Curriculum: BCA, BBA subjects

The outdated curriculum was one of the reasons cited by AICTE to bring these courses within its purview. After framing the new regulations, the AICTE developed model curricula for all three.

The new iteration offers a flexible duration of three to four years, divided into six or eight semesters, with multiple entry and exit points.

The curriculum encompasses a total of 120 credits for the three-year programme and 160 credits for the four-year Honours and Honours with Research programmes. The BBA syllabus now includes a mix of humanities and social science, management courses, elective and open electives. It also emphasises hands-on learning through projects, seminars, and internships.