Five Changes For Engineering Colleges

The AICTE has relaxed norms for new engineering colleges, courses, seat increase. It has also scrapped mandatory physical visits.

- R. Radhika

After three years of ban, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has now allowed the establishment of new engineering colleges again. "[The] moratorium for establishing new institution in engineering and technology has been lifted from [academic year] 2023-24. However, for establishing a new institution in engineering and technology, preference shall be given to the applicant offering courses in multi-disciplinary area inline with NEP 2020 in STEM areas," the new Approval Process Handbook (APH) of the technical regulator states. The new institutions have to be in line with the National Education Policy's (NEP) prescriptions for science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education.

This major change has been introduced to strengthen core branches according to AICTE chairman TG Sitharam who launched the handbook in March. The ban on new engineering colleges was imposed first in 2019 effective from 2020-21- and extended to 2023-24.

Shutting down all its regional offices, the regulator will now operate the entire approval process through the National Single Window System (NSWS) portal. All new institutions must register on it for approval from now on, AICTE advisor Rajendra Kakde said.

The AICTE has also done away with the physical expert committee visit to the applicant campus. "From this year onwards, there will be stress on reducing all the inspections and compliance. Whenever necessary, like in case of inauthentic information or if we receive complaints, we will go for inspections," explained Kakde. Most inspections will be done online.

Aiming to improve technical education in rural and semi-urban areas, AICTE will focus on aspirational districts where placement cells, skill development programmes and internship opportunities will be factors for deciding approval.

New courses, more seats