UGC Approval vs AICTE Approval: What Happens If Your College Lacks UGC Recognition

What Happens If a College Is Not Approved by UGC?

If a college loses UGC approval, degrees awarded may be considered as invalid, leading to rejection for:

• Government jobs

• Higher studies

• Competitive exams (UPSC/SSC)

• Scholarships

• Foreign equivalency evaluations like WES

Employers and PSUs often verify UGC status.
Non-approved degrees risk candidature cancellation post-verification.
This can result in wasting years of study, and students may require fee transfer or legal recourse through UGC complaints.

UGC vs AICTE: Core Differences

UGC (University Grants Commission) recognizes universities for degree-granting authority under the UGC Act 1956.

Is UGC Approval Necessary?

Yes, for all universities.
Colleges do not get direct UGC approval but inherit it through affiliation to UGC-recognized universities.

AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) approves technical programs (B.Tech, MBA) in non-university institutions based on infrastructure and faculty norms.
What AICTE approved means: compliant for professional courses.

Comparison Table: UGC vs AICTE

What Will Happen If a College Is Not Approved by UGC but Approved by AICTE?

Degrees remain risky, as AICTE handles technical aspects but UGC ensures overall legitimacy.
The Supreme Court (Bharathidasan 2001) ruled universities need no prior AICTE approval for technical programs, meaning AICTE approval is no longer needed for universities to run technical programmes under UGC.

AICTE’s Purpose

AICTE’s main work is to regulate technical and management education by:

• Approving AICTE approved colleges

• Setting norms (faculty–student ratio 1:20, labs)

• Preventing non-AICTE approved engineering colleges from misleading students

• Promoting quality through NBA accreditation

Technical degrees can be invalid for jobs and exams if not approved.
AICTE approval is essential for PSUs and banks requiring approved B.Tech/MBA degrees.
Universities are exempt, but affiliated and standalone institutes need AICTE approval.
Non-compliance bars recognition.

Practical Implications

Is AICTE Approval Necessary for Government Jobs?

Critical for technical roles—HR verifies approval lists.
Verification sources:

• ugc.gov.in (universities)

• aicte-india.org (colleges)

Fake setups exploit approval gaps.
Students should choose dual-approved institutions—UGC for validity and AICTE for employability.