The Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar has been handed over the additional charge of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) on Thursday, September 1, according to a report by Hindustan Times.

The Chairman of the AICTE, Dr Anil Sahasrabudhe, retired today at the age of 65. Sahasrabudhe took over as the AICTE chairman on July 17, 2015. Kumar, on the other hand, was serving as the Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi before assuming the position of the Chairman of the UGC this year. 

Kumar shared a picture with the outgoing AICTE Chairman on Twitter to break the news and said, "With Prof Anil D Sahasrabudhe, the outgoing Chairman of AICTE. A warm-hearted and energetic person. Wish him all the best in his new endeavours."

It is to be noted that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2022 has proposed a Higher Education Council of India (HECI) which will become the umbrella organisation for the UGC and the AICTE. According to reports, this organisation might come into effect next year. 

The Ministry of Education has put out a notification advertising for the post of the Chairman of the AICTE. A notice issued by the Ministry said, "While the appointment of the regular chairman, AICTE, is under process, approval of honorable education minister is conveyed to entrust the additional charge of chairperson AICTE, temporarily, to professor M Jagadesh Kumar, chairman UGC, till the appointment of the regular chairman AICTE or until further orders, whichever is earlier."