The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) on Wednesday released its new approval process handbook announcing several changes including relaxing the upper limit on increasing intake for “well performing” institutions provided the quality of education is maintained, bringing undergraduate management and computer application under it, and allowing well performing technical institutes to get approval for three years at once.
The council has, for the first time, released a three-year handbook that will remain valid from 2024-25 to 2026-27, announced its chairperson TG Sitharam.
Among the major changes brought by the council, are removing the upper limit on intake for the Courses / Programs offered by “well-performing” existing institutions. At present, colleges are allowed to have a maximum of 240 seats in one branch.
Sitharam said that the decision has been taken to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) as envisioned in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. “However, this is subject to the fulfillment of infrastructure availability, its readiness and filled faculty position. Before grant of approval to the increase in intake sought by the institution, the council shall ascertain the infrastructure and faculty availability through an EVC,” he said.
The Council has also decided to bring undergraduate (UG) courses in Computer Applications (BCA) and Management (BBA/BMS) under the umbrella of AICTE to “ensure coordinated development in technical and management education.”
AICTE member secretary Rajive Kumar said that while the council is already regularizing computer application and management courses at the postgraduate level, there is no regulation of these courses at the UG level. “These courses were running without any proper regulation. Therefore, it has been decided to bring them under AICTE to ensure quality.” he said.
The Council has also decided to give provision for Extension of Approval up to 3 years for well-performing institutions. Presently, every technical education institute has to reapply for approval every year.
It means, existing institutions will be eligible for getting 3 years’ extension of approval (EoA) from 2024-25 to 2026-27. However, they have to meet certain criteria including figuring in the 8th Edition of NIRF ranked Institutions, also in QS World Ranking Asia-2024, institutions having minimum of 30% eligible courses with NBA accreditation having validity till 30th April 2025, institutions with valid NAAC score of 3.01 and above on scale of 4.0, among others, the handbook stated.
