CHENNAI: The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) releases norms and policies with regard to grant of autonomy to polytechnic colleges and the new guidelines will be coming with immediate effect.

The new guidelines said that an evaluation committee under the chairmanship of the Director of Technical Education comprising members including from the state government, state board, academicians and representatives in AICTE.

Accordingly, the polytechnic applying for academic autonomy from AICTE must be evaluated as per new criteria including the institute should have minimum ten years.

Similarly, a total of 50% of the faculty members amongst the AICTE approved faculty pattern should be working on regular basis and at least 60% faculty should have experience more than five years and out of that 50% should have retention during the last three years. The results of the institution must be 60% and above in all semesters of the last three academic years.

Unlike the present norms, at least 75% of students in accordance with the final year pass outs should have obtained placement or opted for entrepreneurship.

The AICTE said student's admission to the college, which has applied for autonomy status, should be minimum 80% in the previous three academic years.

The norms further said that the state committee report along with the recommendation should be forwarded to AICTE, latest by March 31 every year and accordingly, the council will announce the grant.

As per the new guidelines, the competent authority for carrying out the admission in autonomous polytechnics will be the state government or the authority nominated by the state.