Major blow to Deemed Universities: SC stays engineering admission without AICTE approval

Deemed Universities will now have to seek approval for continuing or commencing engineering courses.

In a major development, the Supreme Court passed a restraining order staying admissions staying admissions to Deemed and Deemed-to-be universities without approval from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). Universities will now have to seek approval for continuing or commencing engineering courses.

The order is expected to impact varisities across all states

A bench of Justices Adarsh Kumar Goel, R F Nariman and U U Lalit passed the order while hearing arguments in a case related to conducting engineering courses in Distance Education mode (Orissa Lift Irrigation Corp. Ltd. vs. Rabi Sankar Patro & Ors).

In the meantime, there'll stay on all admissions without the approval of the AICTE.

“The order passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court will have its impact across all states in view of the interim stay on admissions, requiring all deemed and deemed-to-be universities to seek approval of AICTE,” said Ravi Bhardwaj, senior educationist.

“AICTE Act excludes Deemed Universities from its purview and hence carrying out a legislative amendment, AICTE had no authority to bring the Deemed Universities under its control,” he added.