AKTU Releases Official Guidelines for BTech Branch Change for 2026-27 Session

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU) has officially released the guidelines governing the branch change process for BTech students transitioning into their third semester for the 2026-27 academic session. This policy, which aligns with the university’s Undergraduate Course ordinance for 2018-19, outlines the specific academic requirements and administrative constraints that students must meet to be considered for a transfer between engineering disciplines.

The university has clarified that this facility is strictly regulated and is not an automatic right for students. While the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) permits such transitions, the final approval is contingent upon academic performance, the availability of vacant seats within the target branch, and strict adherence to institutional merit criteria. It is important to note that students currently enrolled in BTech Biotechnology and BTech Agricultural Engineering programmes are excluded from this branch change facility.

Eligibility Criteria and Merit Requirements

To be eligible for a branch change, students must have successfully completed their first year and been promoted to the third semester. The university has mandated that applicants must have secured a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 6.5. Furthermore, candidates are required to have passed all first-year subjects in a single attempt and must not have any carry-over papers. The policy explicitly excludes lateral-entry students, ex-students, and those who have been readmitted from participating in the process.

The selection process will be determined by a merit list generated by the respective colleges or institutes, based on the student's first-year Yearly Grade Point Average (YGPA). In instances where multiple students share the same YGPA, the university will prioritize the candidate who has secured a higher number of superior grades. AKTU has also stated that any re-evaluation or scrutiny results that were pending at the time of the branch change process will not be considered, meaning students cannot claim a change based on revised marks post-process.

Seat Availability and Category-Specific Rules

Branch changes are strictly subject to the availability of clear vacancies within the desired programme. The university has emphasized that no changes will be permitted if the total number of regular and readmitted students in a branch meets or exceeds the AICTE-approved intake capacity. There will be no exceptions to this regulatory cap.

Specific provisions have been established for students admitted under the Fee Waiver and Economically Weaker Section (EWS) categories. Fee waiver students may only transfer into branches where approved fee-waiver seats are available. Similarly, EWS students are restricted to changing into designated EWS seats, which are treated as additional capacity under AICTE norms and are not factored into the vacancy calculations for other student categories. Once approved, the branch change will officially take effect at the start of the BTech third semester.