New Delhi: The first batch of students graduating under the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) in science disciplines has landed in a regulatory limbo, with several engineering institutes, including Delhi Technological University (DTU) and Netaji Subhas University of Technology (NSUT), allegedly declining to consider them for M.Tech admissions despite a University Grants Commission (UGC) notification making them eligible.The issue has reached All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), with teachers seeking an urgent clarification to ensure uniform implementation of norms across technical institutions.The dispute centres on UGC’s minimum standards of instruction for Grant of Undergraduate Degree and Postgraduate Degree Regulations, 2025, notified on March 26, 2025. Clause 11.5 (vi) of the regulations states that “students completing a four-year undergraduate degree (honours/honours with research) in relevant subjects (level 6, e.g. B.Sc. Hons. in physics, biology and mathematics) and students completing a four-year undergraduate degree (level 6, e.g. B.E., B.Tech., etc.) shall be eligible for the two-year/four-semester postgraduate programme (level 7, e.g. M.E., M.Tech. etc.).”In effect, the regulation opened the M.Tech pathway not only to engineering graduates but also to students completing four-year BSc (honours/honours with research) programmes in specified disciplines.Explaining the rationale behind allowing four-year B.Sc. graduates to pursue M.Tech programmes, Prof. Pankaj Garg, chairman of Indian National Teachers’ Congress (INTEC) and a mathematics faculty member at Delhi University, said students from disciplines like physics, mathematics, computer science, biology, chemistry and electronics acquire the theoretical foundations on which several engineering specialisations are built.“The fourth year of the programme includes a dissertation and a research project, equipping students with research aptitude, experimental exposure and problem-solving skills that are essential for M.Tech studies. UGC would have consulted academic experts before deciding to make four-year B.Sc. (honours with research) graduates eligible for M.Tech programmes. The decision was taken keeping in mind the academic rigour of the programme and the need to create multidisciplinary pathways under National Education Policy (NEP) 2020,” Garg said.The provision was seen as one of the key academic incentives under NEP for science students to opt for the optional fourth year of FYUP. The fourth year has otherwise witnessed relatively low enrolment in many universities, with students questioning its value in terms of employability and higher education opportunities. Teachers say the promise of eligibility for M.Tech programmes convinced many students to stay on for the fourth year instead of graduating after three years.However, the implementation has turned out to be uneven. While some institutions have reportedly accepted applications from four-year BSc graduates, several technical universities continue to restrict M.Tech admissions to B.E./B.Tech graduates, leaving the inaugural FYUP batch uncertain about their higher education prospects.Students alleged that DTU and NSUT, among the biggest destinations for engineering aspirants in Delhi, are not accepting their applications, thereby significantly narrowing their options.Academics attribute the confusion to an apparent lack of alignment between UGC and AICTE. While the UGC regulations explicitly recognise four-year BSc (honours/honours with research) graduates as eligible for M.Tech, they say AICTE has not issued a corresponding notification or clarification for technical institutions, resulting in differing interpretations of the eligibility criteria.The issue has prompted INTEC to write to AICTE seeking immediate alignment of AICTE’s M.Tech admission norms with the UGC regulations. In its letter, the teachers’ body said “Despite its (UGC) March 2025 notification declaring them (FYUP students from sciences) eligible for M.Tech admissions, many institutions continue to deny them admission. Such inconsistent implementation has left thousands of students confused and unfairly disadvantaged.”It also urged AICTE to issue an immediate clarification directing all AICTE-approved institutions to recognise the four-year B.Sc. (honours with research), as notified by UGC, as an eligible qualification for admission to relevant M.Tech programmes and ensure uniform implementation across institutions.The UGC Regulations, 2025, also lay down consequences for institutions failing to comply with the regulations. The norms state that if an enquiry establishes violations, an institution could face action ranging from being debarred from UGC schemes and degree programmes to removal from the list of institutions maintained under Sections 2(f) and 12B of the UGC Act.Responding to TOI, NSUT vice-chancellor Anand Srivastava said the university does not admit science graduates to M.Tech programmes because the courses are meant for engineering graduates. However, he added that he was not aware of the specific UGC notification and would verify the provisions before commenting further.TOI reached out to DTU vice-chancellor Prateek Sharma, but he did not respond to calls and text messages. Queries sent to AICTE secretary Shyama Rath, who is also secretary, UGC, also remained unanswered till the time of publication.
