AICTE Approval Process Handbook: From 2026-27, more foreign-student seats, minor specialisation in diploma

Engineering colleges approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) that meet all other conditions will be allowed to add 25% supernumerary seats for international students at the postgraduate level and 15% the the undergraduate level. For management, design and other technical programmes, AICTE-approved institutions can add 25% supernumerary seats, beyond the sanctioned intake. Earlier, AICTE allowed a single slab – 15% for all disciplines and levels.

Raising the cap on supernumerary seats is one of the major changes the top technical education regulator has made through an update in the AICTE Approval Process Handbook for the next academic year, 2026-27.

It clarifies that it is not the chairman who will appoint the various committees involved in the AICTE’s monitoring mechanism – such as expert visit, standing appellate, standing hearing and other committees – but the council as a whole.

Here’s a quick rundown of the changes.

Engineering, MBA colleges and supernumerary seats

Apart from specifying the number of supernumerary seats that can be added to a batch by discipline and level of education, the AICTE Approval Process 2026-27 requires AICTE-approved institutions to have “nil deficiency based on self disclosure” and to submit all details of the students to the council.

The extent of increase allowed for each field and level is as given in the table below.

AICTE Approval Process Handbook: ‘Minor specialisation’ in diploma

The updated policy also introduces ‘minor specialisation’ to diploma programmes. Students pursuing diplomas can also minor in another field by earning 9-12 credits.

The AICTE introduced minor degrees through its 2023 approval handbook to great success and has attributed the revival of BTech enrolment to that policy change. For a minor degree, the undergraduate student must earn 18-20 additional credits.

‘Non-technical institutions’ outside AICTE

The update removes undergraduate and postgraduate management (BBA, BMS) and computer application (BCA, MCA) programmes run by “non-technical institutions” out of the purview of AICTE. In the previous AICTE Approval Process Handbook, in effect till 2025-26, the council had said that existing “non-technical institutions” had to seek approval. Now, only programmes run by “technical institutions” will be covered.

The council started regulating BBA, BMS and BCA from 2024-25 onwards and communicated in December 2023 approval handbook. The regulator had developed model curricula for BBA programmes. Over 5,000 institutes complied with the changes but for the majority, issues of infrastructure and faculty shortage persisted, Academia360 had reported this earlier.

Experiential learning to make students ‘industry ready’

This year, AICTE proposes a pilot on “experiential learning” programmes to make students “industry-ready”, the revised guidelines stated. The pilot shall focus on hands-on experience for students to learn directly within industrial environments to build employable skills. Working professionals and other students will be admitted through a “transparent merit-system”.

Two years ago, AICTE revived a programme for working professionals that gave diploma engineers a chance to upgrade to a degree.

Starting new courses

The revised policy says AICTE will now allow institutions offering non-technical courses to offer technical courses within the conditions laid down by AICTE.

“Institutions currently offering PGDM/PGCM programmes only may apply to start any other programme or level, subject to compliance with the prescribed norms,” says the document. “Similarly, institutions offering programmes other than technical courses may also start technical courses, provided they fulfill all norms and conditions laid down by AICTE.”