Gandhinagar: The Gujarat state education department has issued a notification exempting seven educational institutes with Center of Excellence status from the Gujarat Professional Technical Educational Colleges Act. As a result, these institutes—DAIICT, Nirma University, PDPU, Marwadi University, CEPT University, Changa University, and Ahmedabad University—will have the autonomy to determine their fees, courses, and admissions independently.
According to the education department’s notification, colleges, institutions, or private universities granted Center of Excellence status in 2023-24 and 2024-25 will also be able to decide their fees for specified courses. However, they must conduct admissions following the admission guidelines and standards set by the All India Council for Technical Education, Pharmacy Council of India, and Council of Architecture. These institutes must also adhere to the respective authority’s academic calendar.
Of the total seats, 33% will be designated as government seats, while the institutes will now control 67% of the seats, up from 50%. They are required to reserve a maximum of 15% of seats for NRIs. The institutes must inform students of any fee changes before admission, and declare that they do not generate profit, charge capitation fees, or accept donations.
Institutes must follow the AICTE and UGC guidelines for fee refunds if a student cancels their admission or withdraws from a course. Additionally, these institutes are required to allocate 3-5% of their collected fees as scholarships and provide 20% of the scholarships to Gujarat-domiciled students. Furthermore, they must adopt at least three institutes, offering support in facilities, mentorship, and development.
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