Five private engineering colleges to set up off-campuses

Approach AICTE to kick-start new satellite campuses from the academic year 2024-25

Hyderabad: In a first-of-its-kind, prominent private professional colleges will be opening their doors for more students with new satellite campuses, in the State. Five colleges including those offering engineering programmes have approached the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) seeking a nod to kick-start their off campuses from the academic year 2024-25.

Institutions that sought permission, according to the JNTU-Hyderabad officials, include BVRIT and Vardhaman Engineering College. These colleges propose to offer computer science and engineering, and allied programmes in their off-campuses.

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The move comes following a surge in demand for skilled computer science engineers. For the first time, the AICTE decided to permit well-performing private professional colleges to introduce one off-campus starting academic session 2024-25. While there is no limit to the distance between the main and offcampuses of the private institution, it should be within the jurisdiction of the affiliating university.

The apex technical body, however, laid down some rules that include the institution’s existence for the last 10 years and having the NIRF ranking, QS World Ranking or a minimum of 50 per cent eligible courses that have NBA accreditation. Colleges with autonomous status or having more than 80 per cent admissions consecutively for the last five academic years are also. So far, the provision of setting up off-campuses was only limited to State universities and deemed universities.

This new provision will aid students to get better quality engineering education in their neighbourhood besides increasing the seat intake in programmes that are in demand. Unlike regular extensions of approval for existing institutions, the colleges that offered to set up off-campus will be inspected by the AICTE expert committee before approval. Following this, the JNTU-Hyderabad officials will inspect the new facilities with the fact-finding committees and grant affiliation.

“Colleges that sought to establish off-campuses propose to offer computer science and engineering, and allied programmes including AL and ML, Data Science. However, they are not inclined to start core branches like civil and mechanical engineering due to less demand,” JNTU-Hyderabad officials said.