AICTE to regulate BBA Programs: Chairman Dr TG Sitharam at IMC 2023; Approval Process Handbook 2024-25 Draft includes BBA Program

While the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Bachelor of Business Management (BBM) and equivalent undergraduate management programs like BBS and BMS, are as popular as the MBA and PGDM Program, the overall standards of bachelor’s management programs in India are a lot lower than post graduate management programs. Part of the reason is the education policy conundrum – while specialised technical education body All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has effectively regulated the MBA/PGDM programs for many decades, it was the big brother University Grant Commission (UGC) which regulated the BBA program. This is set to change… Much like MBA/PGDM programs, now AICTE is to regulate BBA, BBM programs. Other UG Management Program under AICTE will be the BBS/BMS among others. As such, from the 2024 academic session BBA degree is to come under AICTE as well as AICTE is to regulate BBM and other programs. This development has important implications for management education in general, and PGDM B-schools in particular.

AICTE Chairman announces big change at IMC 2023
The first announcement of this change that AICTE to regulate BBA, BBM, was made at the 13^th INDIAN MANAGEMENT CONCLAVE (IMC) 2023, organized by MBAUniverse.com and hosted by SPJIMR Mumbai on Oct 13-14.  Delivering the Valedictory Address, Dr T G Sitharam, Chairman, AICTE announced that AICTE is bringing UG Management programs, like BBA, into its purview and from 2024 BBA Degree is to come under AICTE

While releasing the IMC Whitepaper, AICTE Chairman Dr Sitharam said, “As highlighted in this Whitepaper, size of Undergraduate Management Education in India is as big as Post Graduate MBA/PGDM programs. Since approval for all PG management programs is already being given by AICTE for many decades now, we will bring the approval of UG Management programs, like BBA, into the purview of AICTE. This will facilitate better integration between UG and PG management programs in India and give impetus to management education in India.”

As highlighted in IMC Whitepaper, authored by Amit Agnihotri, while 6.37 lakh students are enrolled in BBA and similar UG Management programs in India, about 6.05 lakh students are enrolled in PG programs like MBA.

Several media houses including the Times of India and Hindustan Times covered this announcement.

Dr T G Sitharam, Chairman, AICTE delivers Valedictory Address at 13th IMC 2023

Approval Process Handbook 2024-25 Draft includes BBA Program
It is heartening to note that the announcement by AICTE Chairman on October 14 is swrifly followed by the inclusion of Undergraduate Management Programs, specifically BBA Programs, in the draft of the Approval Process Handbook (APH) 2024-25. In this draft, the approval process for Undergraduate Management Programs and BBA programs have been mentioned several times.

For instance, on page 2 of 86-page Handbook, AICTE states that its approval is required for “setting up a new technical institution proposed to offer a Programme in:

a. Engineering and Technology / Planning / Applied Arts and Crafts / Design/ Hotel Management and Catering Technology (Diploma/ Under Graduate / Post Graduate )

b. Computer Application ( Under Graduate / Post Graduate)

c. Management (Under Graduate/Post Graduate Certificate/ Post Graduate Diploma/ Post Graduate Degree).”

This makes it clear that AICTE will henceforth regulate BBA and other Under Graduate Management Programs like BMS and BBS.

Likely Impact
This development is a positive step taken by the Regulators for streamlining the management education in India. AICTE as a regulator for both UG (BBA) and PG (MBA) management education can improve the overall quality of management education by reviewing:

• Policy Frameworks that govern these two programs
• Admission Policies
• Curriculum and Pedagogies for UG Management Education
• Industry Engagement and Employability of BBA graduates

This development is also likely to pave way for PGDM B-school to offer UG Management programs. One the key recommendations of the IMC Whitepaper is to allow 300+ PGDM and Standalone B-schools to offer AICTE approved Undergraduate Diploma programs. This will facilitate B-schools to increase student size, a key requirement of NEP. Currently PGDM B-schools like XLRI Jamshedpur and MDI Gurgaon can offer only Post Graduate and Executive management programs, not undergraduate programs. IIMs are permitted by the IIM Act 2017 to offer both UG and PG programs, and five IIMs including IIM Indore are already offering both UG and PG programs.

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more updates by UG management education.