NEW DELHI (February 25, 2026) — Dr. Anshu Kataria, President of the Federation of Self Financing Technical Institutions (FSFTI) and the Punjab Unaided Colleges Association (PUCA), has urged the Central Government to urgently review the land and infrastructure norms for higher education institutions. Addressing the India AI Impact Summit and subsequent educational forums in Pune, Dr. Kataria highlighted that the current regulations are out of sync with modern economic realities and act as a bottleneck for national growth.
The Vision: 2040 Education Targets
Dr. Kataria emphasized that for India to achieve its goal of a 55% to 60% Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), the national educational infrastructure must undergo a massive expansion by 2040.
| Infrastructure Type | Current Estimations (Approx) | Required by 2040 |
| Universities | ~1,100 | 2,500 |
| Colleges | ~45,000 | 100,000 |
Dr. Kataria argues that this expansion cannot be sustained by the state alone. It requires an investment-friendly policy environment that encourages private and self-financing institutions to establish campuses in underserved and rural districts.
Core Challenges Identified
The FSFTI has identified several regulatory hurdles that currently impede the growth of private technical education:
- Outdated Land Norms: Traditional norms require engineering colleges to occupy large parcels of land (often 1.5 to 7.5 acres). Dr. Kataria advocates for a shift toward Built-up Area (BUA) and Floor Area Ratio (FAR) requirements, similar to standards in Western countries, which would allow institutions to thrive in space-constrained urban and semi-urban hubs.
- Financial Sustainability: Self-financing institutions rely primarily on student fees. Stringent land requirements in urban areas—where student demand and industry connections are highest—make the cost of entry prohibitively expensive.
- The “Vacant Infrastructure” Irony: Dr. Kataria pointed out that while norms for new colleges remain rigid, nearly 3 million approved seats in existing technical institutions currently lie vacant. He suggested that colleges with surplus land should be allowed to start industrial units or alternative courses to ensure financial revival.
Proposed Policy Reforms
Dr. Kataria has presented a roadmap for the Ministry of Education and bodies like the AICTE and UGC to modernize the sector:
- Waiver of Minimum Land Requirements: Following the National Medical Commission (NMC) model, the AICTE should relax land norms and focus on the quality of infrastructure and academic delivery.
- Flexible Academic Staffing: Norms should be based on actual student intake rather than sanctioned capacity. If a college has 50% vacant seats, they should not be forced to maintain faculty for the full sanctioned strength.
- Direct Disbursement of Scholarships: To ensure institutional stability, Dr. Kataria called for the direct transfer of Post Matric Scholarship (PMS) funds to colleges to prevent academic disruption.
- Biannual Admissions: FSFTI welcomed the UGC’s decision on biannual admissions (July/August and January/February), urging all technical councils to implement this to prevent the “brain drain” of students moving abroad.
Sources
- The Tribune: “Centre Govt Must Review Land & Infrastructure Norms: Dr. Anshu Kataria” (February 24, 2026)
- ANI News: “FSFTI President Calls for Unity to Transform India into Knowledge Superpower by 2040” (February 9, 2026)
- Punjab Unaided Colleges Association (PUCA): Official Press Release on Land Reforms (February 2026)
- AICTE Approval Process Handbook 2024-2027: Addendum on Infrastructure Modifications (February 20, 2026)
Leave a Reply