Hello student,

Engineers still account for 80 percent of all seats in technical education (which includes architecture, management, hotel management and pharmacy among others) in the country despite the steep decline.

Recent AICTE data shows that engineering seats at the undergraduate, postgraduate, and diploma levels have fallen to 23.28 lakh – the lowest number in at least ten years — according to AICTE. 1.46 lakh fewer seats are available this year as a result of institute closures and lower admission capacity. In 2014-15, the AICTE-approved schools had approximately 32 lakh seats available for engineering students. As a result of the consolidation that began seven years ago, institutions have been forced to close because of a diminished demand. Approximately 400 engineering colleges have ceased operations since then. Since 2015-16, at least 50 engineering colleges have shuttered every year, with the exception of last year, when Covid's disruption was first noticed. AICTE has approved the closure of 63 projects this year.