The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has approved 21,900 seats in over 300 of its affiliated technical institutes to offer undergraduate, masters and diploma programmes to working professionals this academic year. The council, in July, allowed technical institutes to offer Bachelor of Technology (BTech), Bachelor of Engineering (BEng), Masters of Technology (MTech), and diploma programmes to working professionals.
The decision was taken to ensure working professionals could continue with their education, and also to help students who cannot afford the fee for higher technical education but are looking for opportunities to earn a degree while working. In July, the council had invited applications from these institutes to begin the courses from this academic session. According to data shared by the council, 9,180 undergraduate seats in 143 institutes, 1,920 postgraduate seats in 54 institutes, and 10,800 diploma seats in 169 institutes have been approved across the country.
“The council has approved 325 undergraduate courses, 345 diploma courses, and 128 postgraduate courses in areas varying from data science, computer science, mechanical, electronics, civil, Artificial Intelligence, VLSI (very large scale integration), manufacturing, and power electronics, among others”, a council official said. AICTE chairperson TG Sitharam said the initiative was taken since several individuals often encounter a point of stagnation in their career without an advanced degree, and subsequently struggle to pursue higher education while on the job due to industry demands. This AICTE initiative for in-service persons will help them in their professional upgradation, he said. “These programmes will provide such professionals with a more accessible path to upskill and improve their knowledge in domain-specific areas, ultimately enhancing their career prospects and providing in-depth knowledge and specialised skills”, he said.
According to guidelines issued by the AICTE earlier, only working professionals in recognised industries or organisations are eligible for these programmes. The applicants will also have to submit an undertaking from their employer with the institutions. The technical schools will be allowed to decide their mode of conducting classes (online or offline), schedules and timetables. The council has approved a maximum of three programmes per institute with an approved intake of 30 seats each.
