EPC recommendations in 1957. As regards the establishment of the new institutions, it was decided that the matter should be re- examined in the light of the following considerations : New institutions, both for degree and diploma courses should be spread more evenly to ensure progressively equal opportunities for training all over the country. In planning the capacity for training courses both in the existing and the new institutions, the requirements of future five-year plans should also be kept in view. The Central Government also decided that the new institutions to be established, after a review of the whole matter, should start at least with 5 with effect from the academic year 1958. In order to decide the number of engineering colleges that should be started on the initiative of the Central Government, a statistical and integrated approach on the basis of the nature and scope of the future 5-year plans was called for. However, at that stage these details were not available. Nevertheless, expansion of technical education facilities to the extent possible, could not be delayed since institutions had to be established and courses organized well in advance of the initiation of the development projects. The problem was one of keeping a distant situation in mind and plan for technical education in stages. With this end in view, it was decided that during the 2nd Plan period, facilities for first degree courses may be extended to about 11,000 seats from the then estimated figure of 9,000 places that would be available by the end of the 2nd Plan period. The extra 2,000 places were sought to be created in establishing 8 new engineering colleges, each with an annual admission of 250 students. Aims and Objectives The foregoing historical narrative shows that the original aim of the decision to establish RECs. was to create institutional facilities for providing under-graduate education and training in different branches of engineering, with a view to supply the engineering manpower for the industrial projects and development envisaged under the successive Five-Year Plans. The common objectives were: To impart instruction in different branches of engineering To maintain high standard in education and training and To promote co-operation with industry and other technical institutions. Considering the background, intentions and later developments, the aims and objectives of the RECs, can be stated as follows: To offer courses of instruction in different branches of engineering, mainly at the under-graduate