AICTE launches 500 offline ATAL faculty development programmes; application portal open on March 1

NEW DELHI: The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has launched 500 offline ATAL Faculty Development Programmes (FDPs) for the financial year 2025-26. The programmes are designed to benefit faculty members by enhancing their knowledge and skills. The initiative was inaugurated by the chairman of AICTE, TG Sitharam.

As per the official press release, only AICTE-approved institutions are eligible to apply for the offline ATAL FDPs. These offline FDPs focus on continuous professional development, with 500 programmes planned for the year.

The application portal for registering for the ATAL faculty development programmes will open on March 1, 2025. AICTE-approved institutions interested in conducting FDPs can apply till March 31, 2025. Institutes can commence FDPs from June 15, 2025.

The ATAL faculty development programmes will have 450 BASIC FDPs and 50 ADVANCED FDPs. As per the official press release, each BASIC FDP is a six-day course covering emerging areas such as advanced materials, semiconductors, and space and defence.

Out of 450 BASIC FDPs, 100 are allocated to Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA). Additionally, 50 ADVANCED FDPs, each lasting two weeks, will be organised.

AICTE Offline ATAL FDPs: 17 areas of focus

The ATAL faculty development programmes will focus on 17 key areas aimed at advancing technical education and research. These areas are given below

• Advanced materials, rare-earth and critical minerals
• Semiconductors
• Space and defence
• Blue economy and green economy
• High-performance computing
• Energy, sustainability and climate change
• Advanced computing (supercomputing, AI, data science)
• Next-generation communications
• Smart cities and mobility
• Agrotech and food processing
• Healthcare and medical technology
• Disaster management and resilient infrastructure
• Manufacturing and Industry 4.0
• Quantum technology
• Hydrogen energy
• Cyber-physical systems and cyber security
• Other emerging technology areas

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AICTE ATAL FDPs: 1,000 Online FDPs planned

While addressing the FDP programmes, TG Sitharam, emphasised the significance of FDPs in providing quality training to faculty members. He highlighted the need to integrate AI into engineering and technology, stating that faculty members should understand its application in their respective fields.

“He further noted that AI is poised to transform many aspects of technology, underscoring the need for both teachers and students to be well-equipped for this technological shift,” the press release read.

While highlighting the programme, Sitharam further stated that the initiative aligns with AICTE's efforts to support continuous professional development and improve the quality of technical education in India. He also announced plans to launch 1,000 online FDPs soon.