Low Student Intake, Faculty Shortage: Why AICTE Shut Down 58 Engineering Colleges | Education and Career News
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In some cases, AICTE phases out admissions while allowing current students to graduate. While some programmes are fully shut and students are transferred to other institutions.
AICTE stated that students already enrolled in the institutions will be allowed to complete their degrees. (Representative/File)
Over 55 engineering and technical colleges across India were shut down during the 2025–26 academic year for multiple reasons, according to the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). However, students already enrolled in these institutions will be allowed to complete their degrees.
The council follows two shutdown mechanisms: progressive closure, which phases out admissions while allowing current students to graduate, and complete closure, where programmes are fully shut and students are transferred to other institutions, PTI reported.
According to the council, such closures generally occur due to reasons like low student intake, inability to maintain required faculty strength, and failure to comply with infrastructure and operational norms.
Over 950 Technical Courses Discontinued
A senior AICTE official told PTI that 58 institutions were placed under progressive closure during this period. Under this system, colleges are barred from admitting new first-year students, but existing students are permitted to continue and finish their courses.
Most of the affected institutions were privately managed, with only three being government-aided. The regulator also noted that more than 950 technical courses were discontinued during the same period.
UP, Maharashtra Top The List
Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra recorded the highest number of closures (12 each), followed by Madhya Pradesh (8), Telangana and Punjab (4 each), while several other states—including Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Odisha, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal—also saw affected institutions.
AICTE, the statutory body overseeing technical education in India, is responsible for regulating standards across engineering, architecture, management, and pharmacy programmes.
This year, AICTE has decided to implement biannual admissions for engineering, management, and polytechnic courses. Under this new system, college admissions will take place in two phases. The first session will be held between July and August, and the second between January and February. If a student is unable to enrol in the first session for any reason, they will have another chance in the second session. This model is inspired by foreign education systems, where admissions are conducted multiple times a year.
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