Chennai: The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has introduced a new set of guidelines for granting autonomous status to central, state and AICTE-recognised private universities across the country, officials said.

Engineering and technical institutions in India function under the approval and regulatory framework of the AICTE, which also governs academic activities including admissions, curriculum standards and institutional recognition. In line with efforts to promote academic independence and quality enhancement, the apex technical education regulator has now framed fresh eligibility conditions for universities seeking autonomous status.

As per the new norms, institutions aspiring for autonomy must have secured a credible position in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). In addition, a minimum pass percentage of 60 per cent in both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes has been made mandatory.

The AICTE has also stipulated that applicant institutions must possess a minimum score of 3.26 out of 4 in the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) grading system, underlining its focus on quality benchmarks and institutional performance.

Another key requirement is that institutions applying for autonomous status should not be under the purview of any ongoing scrutiny or investigation by central or state-level regulatory or vigilance agencies, according to the guidelines.

Officials said the revised framework is aimed at encouraging well-performing institutions to exercise greater academic freedom while ensuring accountability and quality assurance in technical education.

The move is expected to boost innovation in curriculum design, assessment methods and governance structures in higher technical education institutions across the country.