With this objective in view, the Ministry of H.R.D (Government of India) formed National Technical Manpower Information System (NTMIS) in 1983 with 21 nodal centres in different States which work under the guidance of the Lead Centre at Institute of Applied Manpower Research (IAMR), New Delhi and funded by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), New Delhi.

Out of 21 nodal centres, 17 nodal centres which are setup in different higher education institutes in different parts of the country collect the information relating to the supply of Technical Manpower, student information through graduate follow-up survey and institutional information through institutional survey. The 4 regional centres at Board of Apprenticeship and Training (BOAT) collect information relating to the demand of Technical Manpower, through establishment survey. Every Nodal Centre produces an Annual Technical Manpower Review (ATMR) by consolidating the student, institutional and establishment data pertaining to the particular state.

Accordingly, one Nodal Centre was setup at Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh for the region of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh & Union Territory of Chandigarh in the year 1983. Recently (i.e) w.e.f.2002 under the new scheme, courses like Master of Business Administration, Hotel Management & Catering Technology & Pharmacy have also been included.

Each Nodal Centre collects information from Engineering Graduates and Diploma Holders after two years of their passing out, from engineering colleges and polytechnics as well as from the establishments employing technical manpower within its jurisdiction. The three fold data is processed to suggest a plan for the development of technical education in India to meet the manpower requirements of the country in the near future.