INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
CHENNAI: In a move that could bring more students to top engineering colleges at the cost of mid-tier ones, the All India Council for
Technical Education (AICTE) proposes to remove the cap on seats for individual branches from 2024-25.At present, a college can have a
maximum of 240 seats in one branch
the nation's proactive initiatives towards enhancement of Gross Enrolment Ratio, the council proposes to remove the upper limit on intake
that this was subject to infrastructure availability and occupied faculty positions
Expert committees will make inspections before granting approval for an increase in intake.An increase in seats will be allowed only if the
institution already offers at least three courses in core branches.Top engineering colleges welcomed the proposal
He pointed out that colleges in the US had an average student strength of 30,000 to 40,000, while the corresponding numbers in India were
much smaller.Some are worried that the move would affect admissions in mid-level colleges that provide quality education
"We will wait for the final approval process handbook, although there is a likelihood that the proposed move will increase the gap between
the top colleges and mid-tier ones
They may not be able to provide quality education if admission dips," said B Chidambararajan, director of SRM Valliammai Engineering
College.Anna University vice-chancellor R Velraj said the move would accelerate the end of sub-par engineering colleges
As of now, Tamil Nadu has a sanctioned strength of 2.6 lakh seats in 440 engineering colleges.
