AICTE Closes 58 Engineering Colleges Across India; Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra Record Highest Closures

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has ordered the progressive closure of 58 engineering and technical colleges from all over India during the academic session 2026-27. According to the official date, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra recorded the highest number of closures, with 12 institutes each. AICTE clarified that while these colleges will not admit new first-year students, those who have already enrolled will be allowed to complete their academic session. The council follows a progressive closure policy, under which institutes stop fresh admissions while ensuring that existing students can complete their programmes without any disruptions.

Why were the Colleges Closed?

AICTE stated that institutions were permitted or directed to close for several reasons, which includes:

• Low students enrollment over the consecutive years
• Failure to maintain the required faculty strength
• Non-compliance with AICTE infrastructure and operational norms
• Administrative and financial issues affecting institutional functioning

AICTE updates the list of approved institutions annually, making it important for candidates to rely on the latest official information. 

Direct LINK: AICTE Approved Universities and Institutions

Nearly 1000 Technical Courses Also Discontinued

In addition to institutional closures, AICTE had closed approx 1000 technical courses across various colleges. They have also been discontinued during the academic year 2026-27. The move is a part of efforts to align technical education with student demand, improve quality and remove underperforming programmes.

What does this mean for Engineering Candidates?

The closure of these institutions will not affect education or admissions to leading engineering colleges, including IITs, NITs, IIITs, and the other well performing institutions. However, candidates applying to private engineering colleges should verify the approval status of the institutions before taking admission and going for the counselling process.