New Delhi: A total of 58 engineering institutions across India ceased operations during the 2025–26 academic year due to various operational issues, according to the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The regulator clarified that currently enrolled students will be permitted to finish their degrees.

"A total of 58 engineering and technical colleges were closed progressively during 2025-26. Progressive closure means institute cannot admit the students for the first year during the academic year for which progressive closure is granted. However the existing students will continue," a senior AICTE said.

As India's apex statutory advisory and regulatory body for technical education, the AICTE manages and coordinates development across engineering, architecture, management and pharmacy programs while maintaining strict quality control and academic standards.

 

Regional breakdown of closures

Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra recorded the highest number of shutdowns, with 12 institutions closing in each state. This was followed by Madhya Pradesh with eight closures, while Telangana and Punjab each saw four institutes shut down.

Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan reported three closures each, followed by Gujarat, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu with two closures each. Single-digit shutdowns were also recorded in Haryana, Odisha, Uttarakhand and West Bengal, with one institute closing in each state.

Out of the 58 closed institutions, three were government-aided entities, while the remaining 55 operated as privately funded colleges.

"Over 950 courses being offered in technical and engineering colleges across the country were also closed during the period," the official added.

The regulatory body differentiates between two types of shutdowns: progressive closure, which phases out an institution gradually so enrolled students can graduate natively, and complete closure, which immediately terminates courses and requires the relocation of affected students to alternative institutions.

According to the AICTE, the primary catalysts behind these institutional closures include dwindling student enrolment, failure to retain the mandatory number of faculty members, and non-compliance with infrastructural and operational guidelines.


PTI