AICTE Approval Alert: All private, government, grant-in-aid and PPP polytechnic institutions in Uttar Pradesh have been directed to urgently apply for AICTE approval and extension of approval for the academic session 2026-27, with the entire process strictly time-bound between November 28 and December 20, 2025.
What The New Circular Says
The Secretary of the Board of Technical Education, Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow has issued a letter to principals and directors of all private diploma engineering institutes affiliated to the council, asking them to complete AICTE approval and extension formalities for 2026-27 without any delay. The letter refers to a communication from the Director of Technical Education, Uttar Pradesh, Kanpur, dated December 3, 2025, which highlights the AICTE advertisement released on November 26, 2025 about the approval process.
According to this communication, AICTE has already started the approval and extension process for the 2026-27 academic year from November 28, 2025, and uploaded the Approval Process Handbook (APH) on its official website. Institutes have been clearly told that the AICTE approval process must be completed between November 28 and December 20, 2025.
Strict Deadline And Responsibility On Principals
The Board has instructed all private diploma engineering institutes to submit online applications on the AICTE New Delhi web portal for extension of approval of all courses running in their institutions before the last date of December 20, 2025. The letter clearly warns that if any negligence is found at the institute level and extension of approval for 2026-27 is not obtained, the entire responsibility will lie with the concerned principal or head of the institution.
Copies of this letter have also been sent to senior officials including the Director General, Technical Education Department, Uttar Pradesh; Joint Secretary, Technical Education, Government of Uttar Pradesh; Director, Technical Education, Kanpur; Director, Institute of Research Development and Training (IRDT), Kanpur; and Joint Directors of Technical Education for all regions such as Eastern, Western, Central and Bundelkhand.
Separate Direction To All Polytechnic Types
In another communication, the Director of Technical Education, Uttar Pradesh, Kanpur has issued instructions to principals of all government, grant-in-aid, PPP and private polytechnic institutes in the state. This letter also refers to the AICTE public notice (No. AICTE/Regulation Bureau-AP/2026-27) dated November 26, 2025 regarding approval and extension of approval for 2026-27.
The Director has informed that AICTE’s approval and extension process started on November 28, 2025 and will compulsorily end on December 20, 2025, with the Approval Process Handbook available on the AICTE website. All institutes have been ordered to apply online on the AICTE web portal for approval of every course running or proposed to start in 2026-27, before December 20, 2025.
Fee And Action For Government Institutes
The letter also clarifies that for government and grant-in-aid polytechnic institutes, the AICTE approval fee will be paid from the “Chhatr Nidhi” (student fund) head. Here too, it is clearly mentioned that if any institute fails to secure approval for courses to be run in 2026-27 due to laxity, the full responsibility will rest with the principal of that institution.
Instructions have additionally been sent to all regional Joint Directors to ensure that every institute in their jurisdiction completes all formalities for AICTE approval on time. The communication has also been marked to bodies like the Joint Entrance Examination Council, the Admission and Fee Regulatory Committee, and the Secretary of the Technical Education Board in Lucknow for necessary action and information.
AICTE Public Notice Highlights
The AICTE public notice invites applications for setting up new technical institutions in fields like engineering and technology, management, computer applications, hotel management, design and planning, as well as for extension of approval of existing technical institutions and universities. It also covers Open and Distance Learning (ODL) and online programmes in management and computer applications.
AICTE has asked all applicants to submit applications online through its web portal from November 28, 2025 and to carefully read the Approval Process Handbook 2024-25 to 2026-27 along with all amendments on the official website. For new institutions, applications must be submitted via the National Single Window System (NSWS), and universities have been told that partial approval will not be allowed.
