AICTE: 58 engineering and technical colleges shut in academic year 2025-26

More than 55 engineering colleges across the country were closed during the academic year 2025-26 for multiple reasons, according to the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). However, existing BTech students will be allowed to complete their degrees, AICTE said.

The AICTE orders closure of BTech institutions due to several reasons, including less student intake, inability to maintain required faculty, non-compliance with infrastructure and operational norms, among others.

"A total of 58 engineering and technical colleges were closed progressively during 2025-26. Progressive closure means the institute cannot admit students for the first year during the academic year for which progressive closure is granted. However, the existing students will continue," a senior AICTE official told PTI.

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Maharashtra, UP lead in BTech college closures

Among the 58 institutions, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra recorded the highest number of closures, with 12 institutions each. They were followed by Madhya Pradesh with eight closures and Telangana and Punjab with four closures each.

During the academic year 2025-26, three colleges each in Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan were closed. Gujarat, Karnataka, Pune, and Tamil Nadu recorded two closures each, while Haryana, Odisha, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal reported one closure each.

Of the 58 institutions, three were government-aided, while the rest were privately financed.

"Over 950 courses being offered in technical and engineering colleges across the country were also closed during the period," the official added.

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About AICTE

The AICTE distinguishes between progressive closure, under which institutions are phased out gradually while allowing enrolled students to complete their studies, and complete closure, where courses are shut entirely, and affected students are transferred to other institutions.

The AICTE, the statutory national-level apex advisory body and regulator for technical education in India, which oversees programmes in engineering, architecture, management, and pharmacy, maintains academic standards and promotes the coordinated development of technical education across the country.