<strong>All about AICTE’s revised rule for UG engineering </strong>
Recently, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) that governs the technical education in India declared issued new revised rules for the country’s under-graduate engineering curriculum for the academic year 2022-2023. The norms have been laid down in AICTE’s Approval Process Handbook (2022-23) and covers a range of topics, from changes in the entry-level qualifications for under-graduate engineering aspirants to the establishment of new technical institutes across India. The handbook also introduces brand-new features, for instance, inclusion of Covid induced orphans under the supernumerary quota for polytechnic aspirants. This is part of the PM Cares scheme. Here’s a detailed overview of the changes issued.
What has changed for under-graduate engineering aspirants?
In a radical move during the last academic year (2021-2022), AICTE had done away with Mathematics and Physics as a compulsory subject combination in the 10+2 curriculum for admission into four-year under-graduate engineering or other technical programmes. However, this year, AICTE has revised the norm and announced that students who wish to study 18 out of 29 B. Tech or BE degree courses in India should now have mandatory Physics and Mathematics as part of their higher secondary syllabus. It also mentions that general and reserved category students should secure 45 and 40 percent respectively in this subject combination.
Last year, AICTE had stated that under-graduate engineering candidates need to secure overall 45 percent in any three subjects out of the following: Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Electronics, Information Technology, Biology, Biotechnology, and Business Studies. For this reason, students who took admission last year in core engineering courses were able to get in, even when they didn’t study compulsory Physics and Mathematics as part of their 10+2 curriculum.
What are the courses in which Physics-Maths combination is mandatory?
The 18 disciplines in which Physics-Mathematics combination in high school is compulsory are: Aeronautical engineering, ceramics engineering, civil engineering, computer science engineering, chemical engineering, electronics engineering, electrical engineering, dairy engineering, energy engineering, mechanical engineering, fire and safety engineering, marine engineering, metallurgy engineering, military engineering, textile engineering, mining engineering, nano technology and nuclear science and technology.
What are the exceptions?
There are six courses for which Mathematics in 10+2 level won’t be mandatory. They are: Agriculture, leather technology, biotechnology, food engineering, printing engineering, and textile chemistry. In fact, there are three courses, namely, architecture, packaging technology, and fashion technology that will be open to students who have studied any of the three subject combinations from the list mentioned above.
Why has AICTE changed its norms twice in the last two years?
Last year, AICTE had revoked the mandatory Physics-Mathematics combination for all under-graduate engineering and technical courses because many states put forward requests for the same. In fact, it was also suggested that a wider range of subject choices from 10+2 level be given to UG aspirants. AICTE had agreed to these requests as they were in sync with NEP 2020 and its need to emphasise on interdisciplinary education. However, top educationists and industry experts found this move debatable. Following this, AICTE set up a committee to review the norms regarding the mandatory subject combinations. Today’s revised norm is a result of that review process.