AICTE rolls out four schemes to boost education, upgrade labs, promote research in technical institutions

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has launched four new schemes for the academic year 2026–27 to improve technical education, strengthen college infrastructure and encourage research and innovation. Eligible institutions will receive financial support from AICTE to implement these schemes.

The four initiatives launched by AICTE are the IDEA Lab, Grant for Organising Conference (GOC), Modernisation and Re-structuring for Outcome Based System (MODROBS), and Margdarshan Scheme. They are part of AICTE's Infrastructure Development and Capacity Building (IDC) initiatives.

The AICTE schemes will focus on practical learning, better laboratory facilities, academic conferences and support from experienced institutions to improve the quality of education.

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Objectives of AICTE schemes

Each of the four AICTE schemes will support a different area of technical education.

IDEA Lab: The scheme aims to give students more opportunities for practical learning. It will help them use concepts from Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to develop solutions to real-life problems. The focus is on learning through experiments and hands-on activities.

Grant for Organising Conference (GOC) : This scheme will provide support for organising national and international conferences. It aims to bring teachers, researchers and subject experts together to share knowledge and discuss important academic and research topics.

MODROBS: Under the Modernisation and Re-structuring for Outcome Based System scheme, AICTE will support colleges in upgrading laboratories, workshops and computer facilities. The aim is to improve practical training, research and industry-related learning.

Margdarshan Scheme: This initiative will help institutions improve their academic standards through guidance and mentoring from reputed and Centrally Funded Institutions. It will also encourage institutions to share resources and adopt better academic practices to improve their performance, including in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).

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AICTE chairman highlights need for research, innovation

Speaking at the launch on October 31, Yogesh Singh, AICTE Chairman , said educational institutions should encourage students to develop new ideas and turn them into practical solutions.

He also stressed the need to make classroom teaching more interactive and give students more opportunities to experiment. He said teachers should use new technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) tools, to improve teaching and learning.

Singh added that academic conferences should focus on important national priorities and create opportunities for meaningful discussions and the exchange of ideas.

Shyama Rath, AICTE Member Secretary, encouraged institutions to apply for the schemes and use the available support to improve their facilities, academic standards and student learning outcomes.