New Delhi: With an aim to make technical education more accessible, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has allowed engineering colleges across the country to start second shifts from the forthcoming academic session.

The institutes offering technical education have been asked to submit applications for launching the second shifts and offering courses accordingly.

"This will lead to an increase in the intake of students of the existing institutes. As a result, more students will get engineering education," said a senior HRD Ministry official.

As per the guidelines prepared by AICTE, co-educational institutions having four years of standing and women institutes having three years of standing will be allowed to start the second shifts.

Co-educational institutions in the states, in which the number of seats available in engineering institutions per lakh population is less than the all India average, are permitted to run second shifts.

An official release from AICTE said, “There has been phenomenal growth of technical institutions during the past three decades, which has however resulted in a regional imbalance in the technical education system in the Country. In order to overcome the regional imbalance, it may be necessary to permit second shift in an existing engineering college in those states where the number of seats available in engineering colleges per lakh of population is less than all India average without additional investment and also to utilize the existing resources in optimal manner and to minimize the cost of education”.

These states include Assam, Bihar, Orissa, Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

"But women institutes from any part of the country can start such shifts," the official added.

Engineering colleges starting second shifts will have to follow a number of guidelines as laid down by the AICTE. Some of these include:

1. The second shift timing should be from 2:00 pm to 8:30 pm while the first shift from 7:00 am to 1:30 pm.

2. The intake in the second shift should be allowed within the range of 120-240.

3. No additional land or built-up area is required to be added for the second shift.

4. Libraries should be provided with 20 percent more books and journals and library timing should be extended to facilitate second shift students.

5. At least 50 percent additional permanent faculty should be appointed for the second shift and 25 percent visiting faculty should be engaged and remaining 25 percent faculty may be utilized from the existing faculty. The existing faculty may be paid 50 percent of Basic Pay + DA for the additional work.

6. At least 50 percent additional staff should be appointed for second shift and 50 percent existing staff of the first shift may be utilized.  The existing staff may be paid 50 percent of Basic Pay + DA for the additional work.

There are currently 1700 engineering institutions in India which produce around five lakh graduates every year. This figure is expected to go up considerably with the AICTE permitting second shifts in colleges.