300 Engineering Colleges to be Shut or Converted to Other Colleges

The image is used for representational purposes. (Photo: PTI)

Around 300 private engineering colleges may stop functioning from the 2018-19 academic session onwards, Times of India reported. The colleges will be asked halt any new admissions since for the last five consecutive years, they have had less than 30% enrollment.

According to the AICTE, there are around 3,000 private engineering colleges in India with a intake capacity of 13.56 lakh students but of this figure, around 800 colleges have a poor enrollment percentage at 50%.

Instead of shutting these colleges down, the authorities have been asked to choose alternative options such as converting to science colleges or vocational education institutes, TOI reported.

This decision will be finalised by the end of 2017 before the AICTE council approves the conversion of such colleges.