West Bengal State Council of Technical and Vocational Education and Skill Development Act, 2013
No: 26 Dated: Feb, 14 2014
THE WEST BENGAL STATE COUNCIL OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT ACT, 2013
West Bengal Act XXVI of 2013
An Act to provide for the establishment of single State Council of Technical and Vocational Education and Skill Development by amalgamating two Councils, namely, the West Bengal State Council of Technical Education and the West Bengal State Council of Vocational Education and Training in order to establish an integrated, appropriate and unified framework to enable appropriate competencies in the skilling of manpower of the State in terms of different trades or skills, and to take steps to strengthen skill development initiatives in a co-ordinated manner and to provide for the matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
Whereas it is expedient to provide for the establishment of single State Council of Technical and Vocational Education and Skill Development by amalgamating two Councils, namely, the West Bengal State Council of Technical Education and the West Bengal State Council of Vocational Education and Training in order to establish an integrated, appropriate and unified framework to enable appropriate competencies in the skilling of manpower of the State in terms of different trades or skills, and to take steps to strengthen skill development initiatives in a coordinated manner and to provide for the matters connected therewith or incidental thereto;
It is hereby enacted in the Sixty-fourth Year of the Republic of India, by the Legislature of West Bengal, as follows:-
CHAPTER I
Preliminary
1. Short title, extent and commencement. - (1) This Act may be called the West Bengal State Council of Technical and Vocational Education and Skill Development Act, 2013.
(2) It extends to the whole of West Bengal.
(3) It shall come into force on such date as the State Government may, by notification, appoint.
2. Definitions. - In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context,-
(a) "affiliated", in relation to an institution, means affiliated to the Council under this Act;
(b) "Board of Assessment, Examination and Certification" means the Board of Assessment, Examination and Certification constituted by the Council under section 20;
(c) "Board of Studies and Skilling" means the Board of Studies and Skilling constituted by the Council under section 19;
(d) "Chairperson" means the Chairperson of the Council and he shall be the Chief executive of the Council;
(e) "Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)" means the Officer of the Council appointed under section 6 and exercising such powers, and carrying out such functions, as mentioned in section 17;
(f) "Council" means the West Bengal State Council of Technical and Vocational Education and Skill Development established under subsection (1) of section 3;
(g) "Fund" means the West Bengal State Council of Technical and Vocational Education and Skill Development Fund referred to in subsection (1) of section 24;
(h) "Institution" means a Polytechnic, Industrial Training Institute, Industrial Training Centre, Schools having Vocational Training and includes such non-Government Institute, Private Vocational Training or Skill Providers, in which instruction is provided for courses in technical education or vocational training or skill development as the State Government may, by notification, specify;
(i) "member" means a member of the Council and includes the Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO);
(j) "notification" means a notification published in the Official Gazette;
(k) "Polytechnic" means an institution in which instruction is provided for courses of study in technical education leading to a diploma of the Council;
(l) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(m) "recognized", in relation to an affiliated institution, means recognized by the Council;
(n) "regulation" means a regulation made by the Council under this Act;
(o) "rules" mean rules made by the State Government under this Act;
(p) "Secretary", in the appropriate context, means the Member-Secretary of the Council;
(q) "State Government" means the Government of West Bengal;
(r) "technical and vocational education and skill development" means a systematic course of instruction and skill training in the field of engineering, technology, agriculture, dairy and poultry, paramedical, social science, applied arts and crafts or vocational trades in service sector or such other subject as the State Government, in consultation with the Council, may, by notification, declare;
(s) "technical or vocational or skill development institution" means an institution in which skill training is provided in the field of engineering, technology, agriculture, dairy and poultry, paramedical, social science, applied arts and crafts, any subject related to service sector and such other vocational courses leading to any pre or post vocational certificate, and includes such other institutions as the State Government, in consultation with the Council, may, by notification, declare as technical or vocational or skill development institutions.
CHAPTER II
Council
3. Establishment, incorporation and jurisdiction of Council. - (1) The State Government shall, as soon as may be after the commencement of this Act, establish a Council to be called the West Bengal State Council of Technical and Vocational Education and Skill Development.
(2) The Council shall be a body corporate, having perpetual succession and a common seal, with power to acquire, hold and dispose of property, both movable and immovable, to enter into contracts and to do all other things necessary for the purposes of this Act, and shall by its name sue and be sued.
(3) The head office of the Council shall be located at Kolkata at a place to be notified by the State Government and the Council may, with the prior approval of the State Government, establish offices at any other places in West Bengal.
(4) After the commencement of this Act, the Council shall be solely authorized and responsible for those aspects of technical and vocational education and skill development at all levels in West Bengal.