Following years of declining intake and consolidation, mainly due to a slump in demand and government-mandated limits, the number of BTech seats available across the country has hit an eight-year high, according to data from All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).
The approved intake for undergraduate engineering and technology programmes for the academic year 2024-25 is 14.90 lakh — an increase of about 18.84% from 12.54 lakh in 2021-22 when the total number of seats reached the lowest in a decade.
The new high comes after the intake saw a year-on-year decline for most of the past decade, from around 17.05 lakh seats in 2014-15. The 2022-23 academic year marked the first increase in a decade, with a modest rise of a little under 2%, followed by a 5% hike the following year (see chart).
For 2024-25, intake has surged by 10%, adding over 1.4 lakh seats from 13.5 lakh the previous year. The latest number, however, is still less than the intake across the first three years of the decline: 17.05 lakh (2014-15), 16.30 lakh (2015-16) and 15.56 lakh (2016-17).
According to AICTE data, of the increase in seats this year, the largest chunk or more than 50% comes from three southern states: Tamil Nadu (32,856), Andhra Pradesh (23,518) and Telangana (20,213).
The approved intake in Tamil Nadu, which was 2,75,830 seats last year, now stands at 3,08,686 — the maximum for a state overall. Andhra Pradesh had an approved intake of 1,60,014 seats last year, which has increased to 1,83,532 this year, coming next after TN overall. And Telangana’s number last year of 1,25,344 seats rose to 1,45,557.
AICTE Member Secretary Rajive Kumar attributed the overall increase in numbers to two factors: approvals granted for engineering and technology courses for working professionals, and the removal in 2023-24 of an embargo on adding new seats in BTech programmes.
“The programme for working professionals was introduced for the first time (in 2023-24). These are supernumerary seats. With this, the number of seats has gone up by around 40,000 to 50,000, and around 400 to 500 institutions have been given approval for this programme. These institutions have started taking admissions,” Kumar said.
The total number of approved institutions for undergraduate engineering courses this year is 2,906. Kumar said that 1,256 institutions have been approved for an increase in intake this year, including the approvals for working professionals’ courses, adding that the increase in intake was mostly for courses in the computer domain.
The programme is meant for those working in organisations, industries or MSMEs located within a 50-km radius of the institute, and have a minimum of a year’s full-time work experience. These are meant for UG, PG and diploma courses, and can help those who may want to complete their courses after they have begun working, Kumar said.
The total number of approved institutions for undergraduate engineering courses this year is 2,906. (Photo credit: ChatGPT)
Starting in 2023-24, AICTE also lifted the upper limit previously imposed on seat numbers in existing engineering colleges. This decision followed a review by an AICTE-appointed committee, which recommended lifting the cap after noting an encouraging increase in admissions for core engineering branches in 2022-23. The occupancy of BTech seats in that academic year was 81% compared to 71% in 2021-22.
“This (the lifting of the seat cap) is subject to the fulfillment of infrastructure availability, its readiness and filled faculty position. Before grant of approval to the increase in intake sought by the institution, the council shall ascertain the infrastructure and faculty availability,” AICTE’s approval process handbook for 2024-25 to 2026-27 said.
Kumar said, “Up to 420 seats, we have granted approval on self-declaration basis (an institute can apply for an increase in intake by providing a self-declaration on facilities available). If the requested intake is to be more than 420 seats, we have visited the institutes virtually, and then accepted or denied the request, based on availability of infrastructure, faculty, laboratories. Earlier, this figure used to be 360 seats.”
The seven years of consolidation in engineering intake and closures of institutes from 2014-15 to 2021-22 was seen as a market response to reduced demand forcing colleges to shut down.
In December 2017, an investigation by The Indian Express showed there were no takers for 51 per cent of 15.5 lakh undergraduate seats in 3,291 engineering colleges in 2016-17.
The investigation found glaring gaps in regulation, including alleged corruption; a vicious circle of poor infrastructure, labs and faculty; non-existent linkages with industry; and the absence of a technical ecosystem to nurture the classroom. All this, it found, accounted for low employability of graduates.
A few weeks later, AICTE announced its decision to reduce intake in courses with poor admissions by half, starting academic year 2018-19.
In 2019, it announced a two-year moratorium on new institutes and new seats. However, there were a few exceptions to the ban. Existing engineering institutes were allowed to start new programmes in new technologies or convert current capacity in traditional engineering branches to emerging new technology areas such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, robotics, quantum computing, data sciences, cyber security and 3D printing.
50% of increase from 3 south states. 
The total number of approved institutions for undergraduate engineering courses this year is 2,906. (Photo credit: ChatGPT)
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