AICTE issues clarification on approval norms for technical institutions

All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), a statutory body of the Government of India, Nelson Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, has cautioned the stakeholders on the need for verification of the AICTE approval status of an institution, as it is mandatory for all institutions to obtain prior approval from the AICTE to offer any technical program.

It has come to the notice of the AICTE that parents, students, and other stakeholders often face difficulty in confirming the AICTE approval status of institutions. To facilitate this, stakeholders are advised to verify approval details directly through the AICTE website, www.aicte.gov.in.

It is clarified that, as per the AICTE Act, 1987, and the judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India dated 24th September 2001 in Bharathidasan University vs. AICTE, universities do not require prior approval of AICTE to conduct technical programmes. However, technical institutions affiliated to universities, institutions deemed to be universities, and institutions offering PGDM programmes do require such approval.

AICTE also maintains a list of unapproved institutions based on information received from various sources. This list is published on the AICTE website.

Institutions found conducting unapproved courses are regularly notified through public notices and individual communications, under intimation to the respective state governments, with directions to either seek AICTE approval or discontinue such programmes. State governments have also been asked to take appropriate action against such erring institutions.

The detailed Public notice in this regard is available at the AICTE website, www.aicte.gov.in.