Directorate of Higher & Technical Education, headed by Head of Department (designated Director of Higher & Technical Education) has been established as a separate Department as a result of the trifurcation of Education Department in April 1989 with the Administrative Head of Department being headed by the Secretary to the Govt. of Mizoram, Education & Human Resource Development, Higher & Technical Education Department.
Technical Education contributes significantly to the country’s economic and social development by training and providing technical manpower at various levels to meet the requirement of industry and other organizations in Engineering and Technological areas.
At present the State has three Polytechnics in 3 different districts offering a 3 years Diploma course and a two year post Diploma course.
Technical Education, through Diploma, Post-diploma, Graduate and Post Graduate courses has been the doorway to careers for innumerable youth in enthralling them towards the leading light of knowledge for achieving glorious heights in life for the benefit and service of mankind. This is the way as well adopted by various streams of education.
Rapid growth is necessary in the field of Technical and Vocational Education to keep the growth rate of the country above 10%. It has been observed that the economic progress of the state is directly related to the development of Technical and Vocational Education system. Those states, where good progress has been made in this field, have attracted higher private investments in manufacturing and service sectors.
Directorate of Technical Education has to maintain and enhance the quality of technical education by laying the policies, establishing and developing Government Institutions, guiding and supervising the aided private institutions, interacting with industry and national level institutions, coordinating with other departments of State Government, Government of India, Statutory Organisations and to contribute to the development of industry, society at large.
The technical skilled educational institutions were started in 1943, by the name "Occupational Institutes". Later, these are renamed as "Polytechnics"(multiple technical skills/many technical skills). All these Polytechnics were working under "Public Instruction Department". As the number of Polytechnics and Technical degree colleges were increased, the new department called "Department of Technical Education " came into existance in 1959.
The State Board of Technical Education came into existence just after the creation of Jharkhand for establishment and monitoring of Technical institutions. The Board is responsible for formulating new courses and Developing Curricula besides working for advancement of Technical Education and Research work. The board is responsible to conduct examination, provide certification and advise the State Government regarding the development of Technical Education and Art & crafts.
The Technical Education Department, Manipur was created in 1973.The Controller of Technical Education is the Head of Department which is located in the campus of the Government Polytechnic at Takyelpat, Imphal.
In order to cater to the requirement of middle level workers in the industry and the engineering sector, the first Polytechnic was established in the State in the year 1958 at Srinagar. In the year 1960 a similar polytechnic was established at Jammu.