A total of 58 engineering and technical colleges across India were progressively closed during the 2025-26 academic year, with existing students allowed to complete their courses but no fresh admissions permitted, according to the All India Council for Technical Education.
A senior AICTE official said the institutions were granted "progressive closure", under which they cannot admit first-year students during the academic year for which the closure is approved, while students already enrolled are allowed to complete their programmes.
"Progressive closure means 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," the official said.
Among the states, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra recorded the highest number of closures, with 12 institutions each. They were followed by Madhya Pradesh with eight closures, while Telangana and Punjab reported four each.
Three colleges each were closed in Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan. Gujarat, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu recorded two closures each, while Haryana, Odisha, Uttarakhand and West Bengal reported one closure apiece.
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Of the 58 institutions, three were government-aided while the remaining 55 were privately financed.
The AICTE official also said more than 950 engineering and technical courses offered across institutions were discontinued during the same period.
The regulator differentiates between progressive closure and complete closure. Under progressive closure, institutions are phased out gradually while ensuring that currently enrolled students complete their education. Under complete closure, institutions cease operations entirely and students are shifted to other recognised colleges.
According to AICTE, institutions may face closure for several reasons, including low student enrolment, failure to maintain the required faculty strength, and non-compliance with prescribed infrastructure and operational standards.
The AICTE is the statutory national regulator for technical education in India and oversees programmes in engineering, architecture, management and pharmacy. It is responsible for maintaining academic standards, quality assurance and the coordinated development of technical education across the country.
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