In a significant step toward enhancing AI skills among educators, Gujarat Technological University (GTU) has made it mandatory for all faculty members in affiliated colleges to complete a certified online AI course.
According to a media report, circular issued by GTU, non-compliance may render faculty members ineligible for future endorsements. The directive—aligned with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) guidelines—will impact nearly 10,000 faculty members, GTU registrar KN Kher confirmed.
Supporting National AI Goals
The move aligns with AICTE’s declaration of 2025 as the “Year of AI” and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020’s emphasis on emerging technologies. The circular highlights that the goal is to “build AI competency across disciplines” and “prepare a future-ready AI workforce.”
Faculty must complete domain-specific courses from approved platforms like SWAYAM, NPTEL, Coursera, IITs, IIITs, and IISc. Training by the Department of Technical Education will also be accepted for government faculty. Completion certificates must be submitted to respective institutes and uploaded on the GTU Affiliation portal by June 30.
Over 52% Seats Vacant in Diploma Engineering Colleges
Meanwhile, the Admission Committee for Professional Diploma Courses (ACPDC) reported that 52.56% of diploma engineering seats remained vacant after the second round of admissions. Out of 60,804 total seats, only 28,842 were filled.
Self-financed institutes saw the highest vacancy, with only 9,887 of 38,591 seats filled—leaving 74.38% seats unclaimed.