New AICTE Norms for Engineering Colleges

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has dashed the hopes of many engineering institutes in Telangana and engineering institutes in Andhra Pradesh to get into collaboration with foreign universities for offering twinning programmes.

The department of an institute or university needs necessary approvals from the Council and accreditation from the National Board of Accreditation to go ahead with the collaboration. Only after that, the institutes can look forward to offering technical education leading to UG degree/diploma/PG diploma certificate/post diploma certificate/PG diploma/PG degree of a foreign university/institute through twinning/collaborative arrangements. This will also be based on a zero deficiency self-disclosure submitted to the council.

Also Read: B.Tech Fees in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana Engineering Colleges to Increase

The AICTE also mentioned that the foreign universities planning a collaboration with the Indian universities need accreditation by the authorized universities in their parent country. Another point of the council is that the courses offered through twinning programmes should be regular and first shift courses, and need to have the same nomenclatures as their parent country. There should not be any difference in the mode of delivery, academic curriculum or the pattern of exam.

As per the new process, the universities interested in twinning programmes and collaborations have to compulsorily apply on the AICTE portal and upload the relevant documents prescribed by the Council. Only after the approval is given, the foreign and Indian universities can enter into a MoU or a bipartite agreement.

Also Read: Private Engineering Colleges in Telangana to Implement Biometric Attendance

Students enrolled under the twinning programme will have to spend at least one semester for the two years programme and two semesters for four years in the foreign university in its parent country. In case the students are not able to get a visa, they need to be admitted in a similar programme conducted by the Indian Partner Institution (IPI), affiliated with a university. This new process is meant to safeguard a student’s interest and will also prevent the entry of non-accredited foreign universities in the country.