Physics, Chemistry, Maths in class 12 not mandatory for Engineering Course: AICTE

New Delhi, Mar 12: Students, who have not studied physics, mathematics or chemistry in class 12, may also aspire to become an engineer from this year.
The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has revised its regulations to enable students from “diverse background” to study engineering if they want.
In its revised rules, 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 the class 12 board exam 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, etc for the students coming from diverse backgrounds to achieve desired learning outcome of the programme,” the AICTE provides in the Approval Process Handbook 2021-22.
The technical education regulator has opened up engineering courses for students coming from “diverse backgrounds” aligning its regulations with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which stipulates that there should not be any hard separations between the arts, sciences, commerce and vocational education. Students will be given increased flexibility and choice of subjects to study, “particularly in secondary school” so that they can design their paths of study and life plans, the NEP provides.