Context: The third phase of the Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP) is coming to an end in March 2021. Mean while Government is planning to replace the TEQIP with a new programme MERITE Project.

About MERITE Project

• The project has an objective to improve technical education like the TEQIP.
• However, the MERITE Project is still in the conceptual stage and has not yet received Cabinet approval.

About TEQIP project

• It was launched in 2002 by the Ministry of Education. World Banks is assisting in its implementation.
• Aim: The TEQIP project aims to upscale the quality of technical education and enhance the capacities of technical institutions.

Phases under the TEQIP project
Phase I

• TEQIP project was first launched in 2003. It was implemented in 13 States and covered 127 Institutions including 18 Centrally Funded Institutions.

It focussed on

• Promotion of Academic Excellence
• Networking of Institutions for quality enhancement and resource sharing
• Enhancing quality and reach of services to Community and Economy.

Phase II

• Phase II of the TEQIP project was launched in 2010. The coverage was widened to cover 23 States/Union Territories (UTs) and 191 Institutes.

It focussed on

• Scaling up Post – Graduate education and demand-driven Research and Development innovation
• Establishing Centres of Excellence for focussed applicable research
• Training of faculty for effective teaching.

Phase III

• It was started in 2017 and will be completed by 2021. It focussed on improving quality and equity in engineering institutions in seven low income, eight northeastern and three hilly States.
• Under this phase, graduates from elite institutions such as NIT and IIT were recruited to teach in some of the poorest and most remote areas. They were paid salaries in accordance with the Seventh Pay Commission.

What is the next step?

• The Central Government is planning to replace the TEQIP project with a new programme called MERITE Project.
• The MERITE project will have similar objectives to improve technical education.
• However, the MERITE Project is still in the conceptual stage and has not yet received Cabinet approval.
• Neither States nor Centre is willing to commit continued funding of the TEQIP project. This may leave 1,200 assistant professors out of the job. Apart from that, it would also impact the rural colleges as they would be deprived of the faculty.

Other Initiative to Improve Technical Education

1) Margadarshan and Margadarshak (AICTE).

2) Institutions of Eminence (IoE) scheme.

3) Technical Education in Mother Tongue has been proposed by the National Education Policy (NEP).

• To achieve the objective that students may pursue the professional courses such as medicine, engineering, law, etc in their mother tongue.
• It suggests teaching in regional language till class 8 and enabling teaching the curriculum in a language which a student is comfortable in.

4) Uchhatar Avishkar Yojana (UAY) schemes.