AICTE has set new criteria for taking admission in engineering courses. It has agreed to consider computer science and electronics as qualifying subjects along with the existing ones. As per these criteria, many II PU candidates will now be eligible for seeking engineering seats via the state CET.

Moreover, marks scored by II PU candidates in computer science and electronics will be considered while deciding eligibility criteria for engineering/technical courses along with chemistry, biology and biotechnology.

The apex regulator, however, has turned down the request to reduce eligibility criteria for general category students from the revised 50% marks (45% in case of SC/ST candidates) in qualifying subjects for admission to engineering courses. AICTE had enhanced eligibility criteria by 5% for general category students from this year.

It has come to light that, a meeting will take place where the Higher Education Minister VS Acharya will be urging HRD Minister Kapil Sibal to reduce the eligibility criteria for 2011-2012

Meanwhile, it has emerged that the AICTE has approved 175 institutions, including 100 engineering colleges, and asked the rest to correct their shortcomings.