Over 55 engineering colleges shut across India over low enrollment, faculty shortage; UP, Maharashtra top list

AT to the lowest degree 55 technology colleges crossways the rural area were unopen down during the 2025-26 academic year for various reasons, according to the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).Existing students will be allowed to complete their term but the institute will not be able to admit the students for the first year during the academic year."A total of 58 engineering and technical colleges were closed progressively during 2025-26. Progressive closure means the institute cannot admit the students for the first year during the academic year for which progressive closure is granted. However the existing students will continue," a senior AICTE official told PTI.Also Read: Re-NEET Result Date 2026: NTA to declare NTA NEET results by July 20, know when counselling is expected to beginSome of the reasons for closure include, less student intake, inability to maintain required faculty, non compliance of infrastructure and operational norms, among others.The closure announced is a ‘progressive’ closure and not a ‘complete’ closure. In the former, institutions are phased out gradually while allowing enrolled students to complete their studies. Meanwhile, complete closure is one where courses are shut entirely and affected students are transferred to other institutions.States with most institutions affectedAmong the 58 engineering that were granted progressive closure during the 2025-26 academic year, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra recorded the highest number of shutdowns, with 12 colleges each.Madhya Pradesh followed with eight closures, while Telangana and Punjab accounted for four institutions each. Three colleges each were shut in Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan during the period.Also Read: Teacher shortages in IITs: How institutions crumbleGujarat, Karnataka, Pune and Tamil Nadu recorded two closures each, while Haryana, Odisha, Uttarakhand and West Bengal saw one institution each being closed.Of the 58 institutions, only three were government-aided, while the remaining colleges were privately financed.The AICTE official also said that more than 950 courses offered by technical and engineering colleges across the country were discontinued during the same period."Over 950 courses being offered in technical and engineering colleges across the country were also closed during the period," the official added.Also Read: IIT Bombay to Open First US Sub-Campus by 2027The AICTE is the statutory national-level apex advisory body and regulator for technical education in India, and oversees programs in engineering, architecture, management, and pharmacy, ensuring quality assurance, maintenance of standards, and coordinated development.(With inputs from PTI)