Govt approves Bill on schools of planning and prchitecture

New Delhi: A Bill to convert three Schools of Planning and Architecture (SPAs) into centres of excellence and enable them to confer degrees to its students was approved by the government. “The Bill would enable the Schools of Planning and Architecture to become centres of excellence like IITs, NITs and help fulfill the need of the country for quality manpower in the field of architecture and planning,” an official statement said. The proposed Act will empower these schools to award degrees through an Act of Parliament, it said. The SPA students have so far been facing difficulties as the institutions were not awarding them degrees. The SPAs would have to adhere to the government policies on reservations from time to time, the statement said. All the money spent from the public exchequer will be accounted for and audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, it said. The annual report and audited accounts of each SPA will be placed before Parliament, the statement added.