New Delhi, 1 April 2022: The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has now revised the rules for engineering education in the country. As per the revised regulations, the subjects of Physics and Mathematics will now be compulsory in Class 12 for a student to be able to pursue an engineering degree in college.
The AICTE handbook has spelled out these norms and specified the entry-level qualifications for engineering aspirants to regulate technical education in the country. Earlier in 2021, the AICTE handbook gave flexibility to students to not have both Physics and Mathematics in Class 12, and they could still pursue engineering. Now, after realising the importance of these two subjects in the engineering domain, the council has backtracked on its decision and revised the rules again.
| Rollback Decision | Physics and Mathematics will now be mandatory in Class 12 in order to pursue engineering in colleges |
| Decision Made By | The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) |
| Decision Announcement Through | AICTE Approval Process Handbook 2022-23 |
| Physics and Mathematics are now mandatory for | – Aeronautical Engineering
– Ceramic Engineering – Civil Engineering – Computer Science and Engineering – Chemical Engineering – Dairy Engineering – Electrical Engineering – Energy Engineering – Electronics Engineering – Mechanical Engineering – Fire and Safety Engineering – Marine Engineering – Metallurgy Engineering – Military Engineering – Nano Technology – Nuclear Science and Technology – Textile Engineering – Mining Engineering |
AICTE Revised Regulations – Physics & Maths Now Mandatory in Class 12
Last year (in 2021), students needed to have cleared school with overall 45 per cent marks in any three subjects out of the following 14 subjects and they could pursue engineering:
- Physics
- Mathematics
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Electronics
- Information Technology
- Biology
- Informatics Practices
- Biotechnology
- Technical Vocational subject
- Agriculture
- Engineering Graphics
- Business Studies
- Entrepreneurship.
This made it possible for a student, who may not have had Physics-Maths in the three-subject combination in high school, to take up core engineering courses.
However, AICTE has now mandated Mathematics and Physics as compulsory subjects in Class 12 to be able to pursue undergraduate four-year engineering and technology degrees. As per the revised norms, as many as 18 out of 29 recognised undergraduate, B.E., and B.Tech. degree courses will now require aspirants to have cleared Class 12 with at least:
- 45 per cent marks in Physics and Maths at the 10+2 level for the General category.
- 40 per cent marks in Physics and Maths at the 10+2 level for the Reserved category.
AICTE Revised Regulations Partial Towards Some Courses
These regulations are being considered partial as:
- There are still three courses (Architecture, Packaging Technology, and Fashion Technology) that are open to aspirants with any three subject combinations from the list of 14 mentioned above.
- A total of nine courses (Agriculture, Architecture, Leather Technology, Biotechnology, Food Engineering, Printing Engineering, Textile Chemistry, Packaging Technology, and Fashion Technology) have not mandated Mathematics to be a subject in Class 12.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What announcement is made by AICTE governing admissions in engineering colleges?
AICTE has made the decision that Physics and Mathematics will now be compulsory in Class 12 for a student to be able to pursue an engineering degree in college.
What courses are exempt from this rule?
Architecture, Packaging Technology, and Fashion Technology are the three courses exempt from this rule. The aspirants, however, must have any three subject combinations in Class 12 from the given list to pursue these courses: Physics/Mathematics/Chemistry/Computer Science/Electronics/Information Technology/ Biology/Informatics Practices/Biotechnology/ Technical Vocational subject/Agriculture/Engineering Graphics/Business Studies/Entrepreneurship.
Agriculture, Architecture, Leather Technology, Biotechnology, Food Engineering, Printing Engineering, Textile Chemistry, Packaging Technology, and Fashion Technology also do not have Mathematics as a compulsory subject in Class 12.
Are there any other announcements made in the AICTE handbook?
New engineering colleges will be allowed to be set-up in aspirational districts, North Eastern states, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
A quota in polytechnic institutions for two categories of students: Covid-orphans covered under the PM CARES scheme and “gifted/talented students” will be set up. Four seats per institute will be reserved for applicants falling under this quota.
NEP provision on multiple entry and exit points in four-year B.Tech. or B.E. degrees has also been defined. Students exiting after completing:
a year will be awarded an undergraduate certificate
two years will get an undergraduate diploma
three years will get a Bachelor of Vocational Education
four years will get a B.E. or a B.Tech. degree
