TECHNICAL PROGRAMMES IN PRIVATELY MANAGED HIGHER EDUCATION EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN HIMACHAL PRADESH: CERTAIN ISSUES AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The main aim of the present investigation was to study major issues regarding appropriate functioning of technical education programmes in privately managed higher education institutions in Himachal Pradesh and to suggest measures for bringing improvement. For conducting this study, private engineering institutions situated in five districts of Himachal Pradesh were selected. The managers/owners, teachers/principals and students were selected purposively. Data were collected with help of self-developed interview schedule and questionnaire. Content analysis technique along with percentage analysis was used for analysis of data. The findings of the study revealed that less admissions, staff crisis, job insecurity among teachers, unavailability of infrastructural, instructional and academic facilities, use of outdated technologies and methods in teaching-learning process and poor placements are the major issues related to proper functioning of technical education programmes in privately managed institutions. To improve the functioning of privately managed technical education institutions, recruiting required teaching faculty on regular basis, giving handsome salary packages, raising the teaching level, emphasizing on practical knowledge involving latest technology in teaching-learning process were the major recommendations for bringing improvements. In the last section of the paper, the findings and suggestions have been discussed in detail.