The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has announced a major new project called PRACTICE — that stands for Project for Advancing Critical Thinking, Industry Connect and Employability.
This initiative aims to help engineering and technology colleges that are not performing well. Over 1,000 colleges will be part of the plan. The goal is to make their education better, more practical, and better connected to industry.
What Will PRACTICE Do?
PRACTICE will focus on:
- Project-based learning: Students will work on real-life projects to learn by doing.
- Live industry projects and internship opportunities: To help students understand what companies expect.
- Training for teachers: About 10,000 faculty members will get training to upgrade their teaching skills.
- Industry linkages and soft-skills development: Helping students gain communication, teamwork and other non-technical skills needed by employers.
Who Benefits and When?
- Around 20 lakh students will benefit directly
- About 10,000 faculty members will receive support
- The plan will run over three years, from 2025 to 2028
Partners & Funding
PRACTICE is not being done alone. AICTE is working with:
- CRISP (Centre for Research in Schemes and Policies)
- LEAP (Learn Engineering by Activity), an IIT Madras initiative for hands-on, project-based learning
- Maker Bhavan Foundation, which supports STEM education
Why This Matters
- Many colleges in smaller towns lack strong connections with industry and focus too much on theory. Students from these colleges often face challenges getting good jobs. PRACTICE seeks to bridge that gap.
- Upgrading teaching methods, adding projects, and giving students soft skills can make them more ready for work after graduation.
- This aligns with India’s National Education Policy 2020, which stresses quality, equity, and making students industry-ready.