Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 6: The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has ordered the progressive closure of 58 engineering and technical colleges across the country during the 2025–26 academic year, citing reasons including poor enrolment, inadequate faculty strength and failure to comply with prescribed norms.
According to a senior AICTE official, the institutions will not be permitted to admit first-year students during the academic year in which progressive closure has been approved. However, students already enrolled in these colleges will be allowed to complete their courses.
Among the affected states, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra recorded the highest number of closures, with 12 institutions each. Madhya Pradesh accounted for eight closures, followed by Telangana and Punjab with four each. Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan reported three closures each, while Gujarat and Karnataka had two each. Haryana, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and West Bengal recorded one closure each.
Of the 58 institutions, three were government-aided, while the remaining 55 were privately managed.
The AICTE, the statutory regulator for technical education in India, oversees programmes in engineering, architecture, management and pharmacy and is responsible for maintaining quality standards and promoting the coordinated development of technical institutions.
The official also said that more than 950 engineering and technical courses offered across the country were discontinued during the same academic year.
AICTE distinguishes between progressive closure and complete closure. Under progressive closure, institutions stop admitting new students while existing batches are allowed to complete their programmes. In cases of complete closure, courses are discontinued entirely and students are shifted to other recognised institutions.
According to the regulator, institutions may be directed to close because of consistently low student enrolment, failure to maintain the required number of qualified faculty members, inadequate infrastructure and other violations of AICTE's academic and operational norms.