In a major reform undertake in the way admissions in engineering courses are done based on subjects, AICTE has said that Physics, Chemistry and Maths will not be mandatory for students who have not studied these subjects in Class 12. The changes in the eligibility criteria for a students in certain categories have been made in line with the New Education Policy (NEP). 

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Elaborating further, AICTE said, Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics will continue to be important subjects in engineering courses but it is not mandatory for state government or institutions to offer these courses to students who have not studied them in class 12. 

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Addressing a press conference, AICTE chairperson Anil Sahasrabudhe also said students opting for streams like Biotechnology, Textile or Agriculture Engineering will have on option to not study these subjects in class 12. The clarification by Sahasrabudhe came following news reports about Physics and Mathematics no longer being compulsory for studying engineering as per the approval handbook for 2021-22 issued by the AICTE.  

"Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics will continue to be important subjects for certain streams of engineering like mechanical engineering, it''s not that these subjects will lose their relevance. However, for streams like Textile Engineering, Agriculture or may be Biotechnology, students will have an option of not studying the three subjects compulsorily in class 12 and make up for them through bridge courses later," Sahasrabudhe said.  

In its revised rules aligned as per reforms proposed in the new National Education Policy (NEP), the technical regulator has given a list of 14 subjects - Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Electronics, Information Technology, Biology, Informatics Practices, Biotechnology, Technical Vocational subject, Engineering Graphics, Business Studies, Entrepreneurship.  

Students need to pass in any three subjects (from the list) with a minimum of 45 per cent marks in Class 12 board examination to be able to apply for admission in undergraduate courses in engineering, according to the revised rules of the AICTE.  

"Universities will offer suitable bridge courses such as Mathematics, Physics, Engineering, Drawing, for students coming from diverse backgrounds to achieve desired learning outcome of the programme," the AICTE provides in the Approval Process Handbook 2021-22.  

According to Sahasrabudhe, the new Approval Process Handbook 2021-22 has been changed to remove the restrictions of the previous rules incase there are states or universities that want to open up "on the lines of the NEP".  

"There was a very classic case which came up this year during admission into an Agricultural Engineering or Agricultural Technology course where Physics, Chemistry and Maths (PCM) are mandatory. Now, in open schooling and the CBSE there are subjects like Agricultural Chemistry. However, these institutes are only accepting pure chemistry," said Sahasrabudhe, while highlighting the importance of multidisciplinary approach.  

However, the chairperson reiterated that it is not mandatory for states or institutions to change their current mandatory preference of PCM for admission to engineering courses.  

"While opening up the window, it is not mandatory to any of the states or universities that they must admit students from any of the three courses or 10 or 12 have listed there.  

"Universities and the state governments may continue to have the same three subjects of Maths, Physics and Chemistry, as mandatory. This is purely a window of opportunity which is open, but not restricting, or forcing or making it mandatory that any three subjects can and should be allowed," said Sahasrabudhe. 

With PTI Input