In major move, the technical education regulator, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has asked states to ensure that diploma students are not turned away by engineering institutes from taking admission to B.Tech courses.
The regulatory body after receiving complaints against engineering colleges for refusing admission to diploma-qualified students applying for B.Tech courses under the lateral entry scheme, has also advised institutions to admit such students.
A notice issued by the AICTE says: “It has come to the knowledge of AICTE that some of the AICTE institutions are refusing Diploma qualified students for lateral entry admission under Engineering and Technology courses with restricted discipline only.”
As per the AICTE approval process handbook for the year 2020-21, there is no such restriction in the admission of diploma students to undergraduate engineering and technology courses under lateral entry.
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Any student who has passed diploma examination with at least 45% marks (40% for reserved category) in any branch of engineering in the second year through lateral entry, depending on vacancies.
The AICTE circular states: “Therefore, all the State Government/ Universities are requested to inform all the institutions falling under their jurisdiction to adhere to the condition mentioned above for the admission of diploma qualified students in undergraduate courses as per the Approval Process Handbook Clause 1.3 for lateral entry admission.”
