One-fifth of engineering faculty can be industry experts: AICTE

CHENNAI: One-fifth of faculty members in an engineering college in the country can be industry experts, as per the All India Council for Technical Education’s revised approval process handbook for 2025-26. The AICTE raised the percentage of professors of practice from industry to 20% of the total faculty strength. It was 15% last year.

“Maximum percentage of faculty members engaged as professors of practice within the required faculty strength in engineering and technology is 20%, wherein 5% is exclusively reserved for women,” AICTE stated in its revised rules. It also released detailed guidelines for professors of practice (PoP), associate professors of practice, and assistant professors of practice.

For assistant PoP, a master’s degree with five years of working experience in a large conglomerate or a BTech with seven years working experience is needed. For associate PoP, a PhD with five years experience, a master’s with relevant experience for 10 years, or a BTech with 12 years experience is needed. For professors of practice, a PhD with 10 years experience, a master’s with 15 years experience, or a BTech with 17 years experience is needed.

Engineering colleges welcomed the move, saying that more industry experts will be available to students.

“As per the earlier rules, we could bring only senior leaders from industry as professors of practice. The new rules will make a larger pool of experts available,” said P Deiva Sundari, principal of SRM Easwari Engineering College.

Abhay Meghanathan, vice-chairman of Rajalakshmi Group of Institutions, said there is a huge interest among industry experts from the computer and electronics fields to teach in colleges. “This additional 5% will be helpful in bringing in industry people,” he said.

However, some professors in city colleges raised concerns about undergraduates with seven years experience teaching postgraduate students in colleges. “The 20% should be over and above the total faculty strength. This relaxation will affect teaching as industry experts may not be available full-time like the faculty members,” one professor said.