Physics, Chemistry and Maths will no longer be mandatory subjects for admission to undergraduate courses in architecture, according to the approval process handbook for 2022-23 released by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) on Tuesday.

The other two courses which will not mandatorily require PCM subjects in class 12 are Fashion technology and Packaging technology.

The technical education regulator had last year announced that students who have not studied physics, chemistry or maths (PCM) in Class 12 will be able to seek admission to engineering and technology programmes, causing a huge uproar.

“We had constituted an expert committee to make recommendations on admissions for which courses PCM can be made optional. On basis of the panel’s recommendations, three courses have been chosen,” a senior AICTE official said.

Besides PCM, the subjects which are eligible for admission in the three courses include computer science, electronics, information technology, biology, informatics practices, biotechnology, technical vocational subject, agriculture, engineering graphics, business studies and entrepreneurship.

The AICTE has also decided that two supernumerary seats per course will be reserved for Covid-orphaned children covered under the ‘PM CARES’ scheme in all affiliated polytechnic institutions from the upcoming academic session 2022-23.

The reservation of two seats per course will not impact other children because institutes admitting students under this clause can increase their sanctioned intake capacity by two.

“Such children who are issued ‘PM CARES certificate’ shall be eligible for admission in polytechnic institutions under the supernumerary quota,” the AICTE’s new approval process booklet stated.

The scheme covers all children below 18 years who lost both parents, surviving parent, legal guardian or adoptive parent due to COVID-19 between March 3, 2020, the date on which the WHO declared and characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic, and February 28, 2022.

In a new addition, the council has this year made provisions for additional seats for “gifted and talented” students in institutions approved by it.

“Two supernumerary seats shall be accorded by the AICTE in its approved institutions for empowering gifted and talented students to seek admissions against these seats, which will provide a motivating and unique opportunity for such students in line with NEP (National Education Policy) recommendations,” the handbook said.

“The AICTE shall devise norms for selection of gifted and talented students under supernumerary quota and final admission shall be approved by the AICTE,” it added.

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