New Delhi: Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM) is among a list of institutions functioning in collaboration with foreign universities but without the approval of the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE), the Rajya Sabha was told today.

Minister of State for Human Resources and Development D Purandeswari said, "The Ministry has displayed the enitre list of institutes running without AICTE approval on the council's website www.aicte.ernet.in for information of students. The ministry has also issued public notices in this regards to draw the attention of the students.

To a separate question, the Minister said that in 2004-05 the drop-out rate at primary stage was 29 per cent. Socio-economic and school related factors affect drop-outs. A multi-pronged approach has been adopted under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan for reducing drop-out rates. These include strengthening of schools and improving the quality of education through improvement in school infrastructure, recruitment of additional teachers, provision of annual school grants, regular training of teachers besides regular academic support to teachers.

The Mid-day meal programme also complements the strategy to reduce drop-out rates. In reply to another query, the Minister said that as a part of the University Grants Commission (UGC)'s initiative to bring in academic reforms in higher education, the Commission has written to the universities about the need for reforming the external written examination and for making a beginning in this regard by introducing semester system.

Source : PTI