LUCKNOW, Aug. 5 -- The state government has introduced a major overhaul of its technical education sector by implementing a new state-level quality framework and a streamlined online process for college affiliations and course approvals. The new directives aim to enhance quality, market relevance and accountability among technical institutions in the state. To ensure quality technical education, the government has made it mandatory for all technical universities and their affiliated colleges to adhere to national ranking and accreditation standards. The new state quality framework (SQF) will include three key components, including National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) accreditation, National Board of Accreditation (NBA) accreditation and National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) ranking. "The new framework introduces strict accountability measures. According to the directive, institutions that receive a ranking in the lowest band (Grade-D) for three consecutive years will risk losing their affiliation. Those that receive a Grade-D for the first time will be provided with mentoring for one academic year to improve their performance," said additional chief secretary, technical education, Narendra Bhushan on Monday. Affiliations will now be granted for a minimum of three years, with a five-year affiliation reserved for high-quality institutions that meet standards like NIRF, NBA and NAAC. The government has also stated that it can suspend or revoke an institution's affiliation at any time if it fails to comply with quality standards or an investigation into a complaint reveals irregularities. "This will help in providing education in accordance with the national guidelines, which will include technical universities, government/subsidised engineering institutes and all affiliated institutions operating under the department of technical education," the ACS, technical education, said. The latest guidelines of NAAC accreditation prescribed for institutional assessment of educational institutions at the national level will be adopted by all technical universities and their affiliated colleges from the academic session 2025-26, for which these institutions will start their preparation by August 2025. "The new policy sets a clear procedure for opening new engineering colleges (excluding B Arch and B Pharma), launching new courses and managing student intake. The process will be entirely online through Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU) portal with the new academic session beginning in August," the ACS added. A key highlight of the new framework is the prioritisation of "New Age Courses" to meet global market demands. These include fields such as artificial intelligence/machine learning, generative AI, robotics, quantum mechanics, 5G/6G, cyber security, and drone technology....