At its peak, in 2014-15, engineering education had practically 32 lakh seats throughout all AICTE-approved organizations. The drop is being associated to the consolidation that started 7 years earlier, with minimized demand requiring colleges to shut down. Ever since, roughly 400 engineering schools have wound up operations. Other than for last year, which is when Covid-induced disturbance was first seen, at least 50 engineering institutes have actually closed every year because 2015-16. This year, 63 have got AICTEs nod for closure.

For the academic year 2021-22, AICTE has approved 54 new institutes. Chairman Anil Sahasrabudhe informed The Indian Express that these approvals are for establishing engineering colleges in backwards districts, demands that were currently in the pipeline, and when it comes to state governments wanting to start a new institute. In the three years prior to the moratorium kicked in, the regulator has actually approved 143, 158, and 153 brand-new institutes in 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20, respectively.

The technical education regulators approval for establishing brand-new engineering institutes is at a five-year low. In 2019, AICTE announced a two-year moratorium on brand-new organizations starting 2020-21. This was done on the suggestion of a federal government committee headed by IIT-Hyderabad chairman BVR Mohan Reddy.

The investigation found glaring spaces in policy, consisting of declared corruption; a vicious cycle of bad facilities, labs and faculty; non-existent linkages with industry; and the absence of a technical ecosystem to support the classroom. All this, it found, accounted for low employability of graduates.

Regardless of the significant drop, engineering still represents 80 per cent of the total seats in the technical education area (also comprised of architecture, management, hotel management and pharmacy, among others) in the country.

With a steady stream of engineering colleges making an application for closure because 2015-16 and a substantial reduction in capability across others, the overall number of seats in engineering institutes in India has struck the most affordable in a years.

A couple of weeks later, AICTE revealed its choice to decrease intake in courses with poor admissions by half, starting scholastic year 2018-19. In 2019, it revealed a two-year moratorium on brand-new institutes.

At its peak, in 2014-15, engineering education had nearly 32 lakh seats across all AICTE-approved organizations. Except for last year, which is when Covid-induced interruption was very first witnessed, at least 50 engineering institutes have closed every year because 2015-16. The technical education regulators approval for setting up brand-new engineering institutes is at a five-year low. Chairman Anil Sahasrabudhe informed The Indian Express that these approvals are for developing engineering colleges in backwards districts, demands that were currently in the pipeline, and in the case of state governments desiring to start a brand-new institute.

In December 2017, The Indian Express had published the findings of its three-month-long investigation, Devalued Degree, which discovered there were no takers for 51 per cent of 15.5 lakh undergraduate seats in 3,291 engineering colleges in 2016-17.

ExplainedLack of need fuels dip
At their peak, in 2014-15, AICTE-approved institutions had almost 32 lakh engineering seats. Ever since, lack of demand has forced around 400 engineering schools shut. Still, they represent 80% of seats in the technical area (consisting of architecture, management, and so on).

The newest data from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) reveal that engineering seats at the diploma, postgraduate and undergrad levels have actually decreased to 23.28 lakh– the most affordable in at least 10 years. The decrease in seats this year, on account of institute closure and reduced admission capacity, is pegged at 1.46 lakh.