AICTE reduces cut-off for technical courses

The All India Council for Technical Education has reduced the cut-off marks in Intermediate for admissions to engineering courses, bowing to pressure from several states, including Andhra Pradesh. It has brought down cut-off marks in 10+2 to 45 per cent for students from open category and to 40 per cent for reserved category students.

The AICTE had in January made it mandatory for students in the open category to secure 50 per cent marks in 10+2 group subjects (maths, physics and chemistry), and 45 per cent marks for students from reserved categories, in order to improve standards in engineering education.

However, several states have opposed the move, arguing that it will prevent students from studying engineering, particularly those from reserved categories and rural areas.

To date, getting pass marks (35 per cent) in the Intermediate was enough for a student to get admission in BE, B.Tech courses, apart from securing 25 per cent marks in Eamcet.

For students from scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, even a ‘zero’ in the Eamcet would fetch them BE, B.Tech seats if they managed to pass Intermediate.

This has led to a deterioration of standards in engineering colleges. The state currently has 2.8 lakh engineering seats of which 95,000 seats remained vacant last year.






Keywords: All India Council for Technical Education,Intermediate for admissions,category students,AICTE,engineering education,BE, B.Tech courses,engineering colleges.