AICTE Margdarshan Scheme 2026: Grant up to ₹30 Lakh for Mentoring Technical Institutes
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Quick answer
The AICTE Margdarshan Scheme connects well-established technical institutes (Mentor Institutes) with up to 10 nearby institutes (Mentee Beneficiary Institutes) to improve education quality through accreditation support. Mentor Institutes receive a grant of up to ₹30 lakh (₹3 lakh per mentee institute) to conduct mentoring activities. Institutes apply offline by submitting a signed application and detailed project report to AICTE.
At a glance
| Main benefit | Grant up to ₹30 lakh for Mentor Institutes; mentoring support for Mentee Institutes |
| Ministry / department | Ministry of Education |
| Level | Central Government |
| Application mode | Offline |
About the scheme
Margdarshan Initiative has been introduced by All India Council for Technical Education in 2018 for facilitating the technical institutes in order to improve the quality of technical education as a whole through accreditation by providing access to the facilities available in host institute. This Initiative is a facilitative mechanism that aims to foster & augment the support ecosystem in the Institutes approved by AICTE for enhancing their quality across all domains.
Benefits
- Token grant of ₹3,00,000 per Mentee Beneficiary Institute, maximum ₹30,00,000 for 10 MBIs.
- Honorarium for MI staff (Chief Coordinator, supporting persons) limited to 4% of overall grant.
- Travel allowance for internal experts: AC 2-tier train or chair car; own car/taxi at prevailing government rates.
- Local support (lodging, boarding, secretarial, office) provided by host MBI during expert visits.
- Workshop on accreditation process and SWOT analysis for MBIs.
- FDPs/Workshop on generation and submission of infrastructure projects through state/central schemes.
- Workshop on promoting research, consultancy, industrial projects.
- Guest lectures on faculty motivation.
- Institutional visit at MI or other accredited institutes.
- Benchmarking exercise with discussion on programme/department wise targets for accreditation.
- Guest lectures on innovation, start-up and entrepreneurship environment for faculty and students.
- Workshops on curriculum modifications, new teaching-learning processes aiding outcome-based education.
- Mapping of activities with graduate aptitudes.
- Workshops on AICTE initiatives for awareness and development.
- FDPs/Workshops on NIRF ranking parameters.
- Implementation of curricular reforms and development.
- Improve student performance and evaluation.
- Implement performance appraisal of faculty by students.
- Facilitating guest/special lectures.
- Assisting institute to organise faculty development programmes.
- Research interaction and innovation with faculty and students.
- Focus on technical and life skill encouragement.
- Assist faculty in enhancing outcome-based education.
- Improving student learning.
- Improving student employability.
- Increasing faculty productivity and motivation through professional development.
- Increase in average score of students in technical and critical thinking tests.
- Percentage of sanctioned faculty positions filled by regular/contract faculty as per AICTE norms.
- Increase in number of faculty trained in subject domain, pedagogy or management.
- Participation in newly designed research-hub activities.
- Increase in average satisfaction level of students, staff and faculty.
Who can apply (eligibility)
- Institute must be approved by AICTE (not mandatory for centrally funded institutions like IITs, NITs, etc.).
- For AICTE-approved institutions, must have valid accreditation for at least 6 months from proposal submission date.
- For institutions with management, hotel management programmes: accreditation valid for at least 6 months from application date.
- For diploma-only institutes: minimum four diploma courses with valid accreditation for at least 6 months from application date.
- Only AICTE-approved institutes eligible as Mentee Beneficiary Institutes.
- MBI must never have been enrolled as Mentor Institute by AICTE.
- MBI must never have been mapped as MBI with any other MI.
- None of MBI's programmes accredited in the past 10 years.
- Institutes with break in extension of approval or no admission in last 10 years not considered for MI.
- Cannot submit more than one project proposal for MI scheme.
- Department-wise nomination not acceptable for MI.
- Institute with common management/board/parent trust as existing MI not eligible for MI.
- Institutes with only UG accreditation cannot mentor MBIs seeking PG accreditation.
- Institutes under same board/management/trust as MI not permitted as MBI.
Who cannot apply
- AICTE approved institutions having break in extension of approval or no admission in the institute for any reason, whatsoever, in the last 10 years shall not be considered.
- An institution cannot submit more than one project proposal for MI scheme.
- Department wise nomination is not acceptable.
- An institute having common management/board/parent trust will not be eligible for MI if another institute under the same parental control is already functioning as MI.
- The proposals of institutes having only UG courses accredited shall not be considered for mentoring of MBIs seeking accreditation of PG programs.
- Any institute functioning under the same board/management/ trust as that of MI is not permitted for adoption as MBI under the scheme.
Documents required
- Basic details of the institute
- Number of MBIs proposed in the Detailed Project Report (DPR)
- Consent of all MBIs proposed in DPR
- Programme-wise (Diploma/UG/PG) pre-qualifiers for each MBI
- Self-undertaking enclosed
- Details of proposed activities enclosed
- Mandate form
How to apply
- 1Forward signed application from head of institute along with detailed project report (DPR).
- 2Verify every page of application has signature and stamp of head of institute.
- 3Attach all essential documents with filled application form.
- 4Ensure all information is correct and send application with documents to address mentioned in AICTE circular.
Frequently asked questions
What is Margdarshan scheme?+
Margdarshan Initiative has been introduced by All India Council for Technical Education for facilitating the technical institutes in order to improve the quality of technical education as a whole through accreditation by providing access to the facilities available in host institute.
Who manages this scheme?+
This scheme is managed by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).
When this scheme was been introduced?+
Margdarshan scheme was introduced in 2018.
What is the main objective of this scheme?+
Margdarshan Initiative intends to improve the quality of technical education as a whole through accreditation by providing access to the facilities available in host institute, spread awareness about various initiative of AICTE and also provide guidance and support for achieving better NIRF ranking.
What is Margdarshan institute?+
A well-established AICTE approved institute/Centrally Funded Institutes such as IITs/NITs/IIITs/IISc/IISERs/IIMs etc. referred to as Margdarshan Institute or Mentor Institute (MI). These institutes are supported with an objective to mentor up to 10 nearby institutes in achieving accreditation.
What is Mentee Beneficiary Institute (MBI)?+
A mentee beneficiary institute (MBI) shall be facilitated by the MI by sharing the best practices, guidance for initiating project proposals, achieving outcome based education and other related aspect.
Who are the targeted beneficiaries under this scheme?+
Margdarshan Institute or Mentor Institute (MI) and Mentee Beneficiary Institute (MBI) both are the beneficiaries.
What should be the criteria for the Margdarshan Institute or Mentor Institute (MI)?+
The institution, i.e. university, institute, college should have been approved by AICTE. AICTE approval is not mandatory in case of Central Funded Institutions wherever applicable.
What should be the criteria for the Mentee Beneficiary Institute (MBI)?+
Only AICTE approved institutes are eligible to receive mentoring from MIs. Institutes approved by other regulatory bodies such as PCI, CoA etc. are thus not eligible.
Maximum how many MBIs can be taken up by an MI for mentoring?+
An MI shall be allowed to function with maximum of 10 MBIs.
What is the tenure of nomination of MI?+
The duration of the nomination as MI along with necessary grant shall be for a period of three years.
What is the main benefit for the MIs?+
The Council has made provisions of a token grant in aid of ₹3,00,000 per MBI. Hence a maximum ₹30,00,000 can be sanctioned to an MI for conducting activities under the Margdarshan Scheme for 10 MBIs altogether.
What is the main benefit for the MBIs?+
The MIs can encourage MBIs to organize activities at their respective institutes with resource person(s) invited from MI to deliver the contents.
Who is eligible for AICTE Margdarshan scheme?+
AICTE-approved institutes with valid accreditation (or centrally funded institutes) can apply as Mentor Institutes; AICTE-approved institutes that have never been MI or MBI and have no accreditation in past 10 years can be Mentee Beneficiary Institutes.
How much money does Mentor Institute get?+
Mentor Institute receives ₹3,00,000 per Mentee Beneficiary Institute, up to a maximum of ₹30,00,000 for 10 MBIs.
How to apply for Margdarshan scheme?+
Apply offline by sending signed application and detailed project report to the address given in the AICTE circular.
Last date for Margdarshan scheme?+
Not specified (scheme is open-ended).
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