In a move that has the potential to reshape the landscape of technical education in India, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has implemented new rules that allow colleges to increase intake capacity. Colleges are expected to benefit from this change, but private universities may face increased competition..
Previously, colleges were limited in how many seats they could offer in each engineering branch. This frequently resulted in a bottleneck, especially in high-demand fields like computer science (CS) and information technology (IT).
Key Takeaways of the New Rules:
- Colleges meeting specific standards can now increase their intake capacity in any engineering branch.
- This potentially allows colleges to compete with universities for students in popular programs.
- Universities may face challenges due to a potential decrease in applications for certain branches.
- The new rules are expected to come into effect from the 2024-25 academic session.
Impact on Colleges:
Colleges, frustrated by previous limitations, view the new rules as a positive development. They are already preparing to increase their intake capacity, particularly in high-demand fields such as computer science and information technology.
Impact on Universities:
Applications for departments other than computer science and information technology may decline at universities that did not previously have seat allotment restrictions. This could render it more competitive for students to study in these particular fields.
Expert Opinion:
Lloyd College’s director, Rajeev Aggarwal, thinks the new regulations will help colleges and create competition amongst colleges and universities for admissions in particular branches.
The new AICTE regulations are expected to bring about significant changes in the technical education sector. Colleges are poised to gain more flexibility, potentially leading to a more competitive landscape for student admissions.
Source: Jagran, 2 March, 2024