How Do Colleges & Universities Receive AICTE Accreditation/ Approval?

To become an AICTE-approved college, institutions need to know the entire AICTE approval process 2025-26. It is a multi-stage and detailed procedure. All the steps are curated to ensure that technical institutions meet the norms. The norms are related to infrastructure, faculty, curriculum, governance, and quality.

The statutory body AICTE has released an Approval Process Handbook (APH) for 2024-25 to 2026-27, which covers the evaluation factors. This article has comprehensively detailed the crucial steps that new institutions and existing ones need to take to get AICTE accreditation. In turn, they will be able to offer AICTE-approved programs to promote technical education.

Also Check - AICTE’s Role in Ensuring Quality & Standards in Technical Education

Crucial Steps, Requirements & Checks in AICTE Accreditation Process

Here are the steps, needs, and assessment factors in the AICTE accreditation process:

1. Eligibility & Application

The eligibility is different for new and existing institutions and is detailed as follows:

In the application, the institutions will have to enter the technical course details, intake, infrastructure, faculty, financials, and compliance statements.

2. Self-Disclosure and Document Submission

Institutions have to self-disclose whether they fulfill the norms and standards regarding infrastructure, faculty etc. For this, they should upload the required documents as per annexures on the AICTE portal . The documents are:

• Land/ building plans

• Equipment inventories

• Library holdings

• Faculty qualifications

• Affiliations

• Financial Statements etc.

If the institute is looking for online verification, especially if the circumstances are remote or constrained, they must upload a video tour of the infrastructure. It should be a minimum of 30 minutes, along with a link to their website.

3. Scrutiny & Expert Visit Committee (EVC)

AICTE’s Scrutiny and Re-Scrutiny committees review the submitted applications and documents. An Expert Visit Committee (EVC) is formed when the application merits. The selection is done through an online portal.

The EVC is responsible for on-site or hybrid visits. They verify infrastructure, equipment, labs, faculty, library, and compliance with norms. Through this, they determine if the institution is prepared for labs, classrooms, services, faculty strength, and administrative arrangements.

Also Check - How is an AICTE accreditation different from a NAAC accreditation?

4. Compliance & Deficiency Rectification

If EVC or during scrutiny, AICTE finds any deficiencies, they will issue a show-cause notice or compliance report requirement. It asks the institutions to fix gaps within the timeline.

The institution submits a compliance report and shows the evidence of rectification. Once AICTE finds this compliance report satisfactory, it will move your institute to the approval stage.

5. Approval Granting/ Accreditation

AICTE grants approval or extension once all norms are satisfied for programs, intakes, and duration. The institution gets an Approval Order/ Letter that specifies the sanctioned courses, seats, and validity period. Such institutions now become AICTE-approved colleges , universities, or institutes.

6. Monitoring & Renewal

AICTE-accredited institutions are under constant monitoring, so they need to keep up with the AICTE standards. There may be periodic inspections or audits by AICTE for this.  If you don’t follow the norms, you may be ordered to withdraw or pay penalties. Institutes can file for EOA in subsequent years.

7. Special Provisions & Recent Reforms

Subject to infrastructure and faculty-readiness, the upper intake caps for well-performing institutions have been removed in the APH 2024-2027. In specific conditions, institutions can apply for multi-year approvals.

AICTE also allows off-campus extensions, simplification of compliance, and grading autonomy (for eligible institutions). Some programs (like Pharmacy, Architecture) have had changes or discontinued AICTE’s direct role in approvals per legal / court directives.

AICTE accreditation procedure is very thorough, so that only top-quality institutions and programs are offered. For this, Institutions must plan thoroughly, document transparently, and commit to continuous improvement. The process balances self-declaration, expert verification, and ongoing compliance. For colleges and universities seeking AICTE accreditation, success lies in aligning infrastructure, faculty, governance, and vision with AICTE’s prescribed norms and proactively responding to feedback.

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