NITs plan for BTech student exchanges, minor degrees and credit sharing with other CFTIs

The National Institutes of Technology will allow up to 5% of their undergraduate students to study a semester at a different NIT or Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST) Shibpur. The Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT) Jaipur has been tasked with developing a “student mobility portal” to facilitate this. Meanwhile, the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER) are considering admitting students based on their performance in international Science Olympiads and even sports.

The National Institute of Technology, Science and Engineering Research (NITSER) Council also adopted “in principle” the multiple-entry and multiple-exit framework across the NITs and asked the engineering colleges to start offering minor degrees and share credits with other centrally-funded technical institutions (CFTI).

The council also adopted “in principle” NIT Karnataka Surathkal’s “Innovation and Entrepreneurship Policy” as the model framework for all institutes. The NITSER Council is the common governing and policy body for the NIT network, including IIEST Shibpur, and IISERs. It is chaired by the education minister . It met in January, 2026, its first meeting in seven years. The minutes were finalised and published in July.

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The NITs also discussed expanding research parks and startup ecosystems, and integrating artificial intelligence into engineering education.

NIT Patna points to multiple entry, exit rules

NIT Patna director, PK Jain pointed to the lack of uniformity in the implementation of multiple-entry and multiple-exit policies across the NITs even though 21 of the top engineering colleges had a multiple exit policy in place.

The council approved the proposed MEME guidelines “in principle” and directed all NITs and IIEST to complete the mandatory common eligibility requirements within three months, the NIT council minutes show.

Under the framework, institutions will offer flexible exit options, allowing students to leave with a certificate after one year, diploma after two years, and a degree after three or four years.

Further, the students will also be allowed to “temporarily leave their programme after admission or exit midway for academic, research, entrepreneurial, employment or medical reasons and rejoin later”, the minutes add.

The council also decided the maximum durations for completing programmes and they are as follows:

• Undergraduate programmes: 7 years
• Postgraduate programmes: 5 years
• PhD: 8 years

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Plus, NITs will prescribe bridge courses wherever required.

The council also recommended that high-performing students be allowed to complete a four-year degree in three years through accelerated pathways without compromising academic standards. Further, NITs and IIEST have been asked to strengthen semester-long industry internships by allowing them to substitute for classroom learning with academic credits. Startup internships and product innovation shall be encouraged by the institutes.

NIT: Minor degrees, credit sharing with CFTIs, AI

The council also directed NITs to introduce minor degree programmes in cutting-edge areas and facilitate credit sharing with CFTIs through the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) and after considering other academic calendars.

The council directed all NITs and IIEST to complete a series of curriculum and pedagogy reforms within six months to align engineering education with emerging technologies and industry needs, including artificial intelligence and machine learning. Each institute has been asked to establish an “AI Task Force” to oversee the integration of AI into academic programmes.

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NIT Surathkal: Research parks, startups

The council discussed strengthening innovation, research and the startup ecosystem within higher education institutions.

The minutes stated that while 29 incubation centres currently operate across 19 NITs, nearly 400 startups are concentrated in just five institutes – NIT Surathkal, NIT Rourkela, NIT Tiruchirappalli, NIT Calicut and MNIT Jaipur. The council observed that there is a need to build a stronger innovation ecosystem across all 31 NITs and IIEST Shibpur.

The council approved NITK Surathkal’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Policy “in-principle” and asked the others to frame their policies using it as a model. That said, individual NITs will tweak the policy as per their own requirements. A “chief mentor” will be appointed to oversee the establishment of research parks in selected NITs and incubation centres across all NITs and IIEST.

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The council recommended that 13 NITs that currently do not have incubation centres establish them within a year and at least 10 NITs and IIEST immediately start work on research parks.

The council also recommended that each NIT and IIEST engage five-to-10 mentors from among unicorn founders, successful entrepreneurs and distinguished alumni to guide innovation and entrepreneurship activities.

NIT Karnataka Surathkal has been tasked with coordinating with Startup India, Invest India and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to strengthen funding, industry linkages and access to finance, the council minutes state. NIT-K will also organise an annual “pitching conclave” for NIT and IIEST-associated startups to present their ideas to potential funders.