AKTU BTech Branch Change: Check Eligibility and Rules

AKTU has issued guidelines for branch change for BTech students moving to third semester in 2026-27 academic session, with eligibility based on first-year performance, vacant seats and merit.

AKTU BTech Branch Change

AKTU BTech Branch Change: Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University has released guidelines for BTech branch change. It must be noted that branch change in BTech will be applicable to eligible students after completion of first year and will take effect from third semester.

Students admitted to BTech Biotechnology and BTech Agricultural Engineering will not be eligible for branch change facility. This process will be carried out as per university's Undergraduate Course (BTech) ordinance 2018-19.

All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) permits engineering students to change their branch after completing their first year, but it is strictly regulated and not a guaranteed right. Approval depends on academic merit, seat vacancies and specific institutional guidelines. AKTU has also kept academic merit as a criterion for this. 

AKTU BTech Branch Change: Who Can Apply?

BTech students who have been promoted to third semester can apply for branch change after completing their first year. They must meet these conditions

• Students must have obtained minimum CGPA of 6.5 in first year

• They must have no carry-over papers

• They must have passed all first-year subjects in a single attempt

• Readmitted students, ex-students and lateral-entry students cannot apply

• Branch change will be allowed only if there is a clear vacancy in desired branch

• They must be eligible as per merit list prepared by college or institute

AKTU Branch Change Based on Merit

AKTU has stated that branch change in second year will be strictly based on merit list prepared using first-year YGPA. If two or more students have same YGPA, one who has secured a greater number of higher grades will be placed higher in merit list. Those whose re-evaluation or scrutiny results were pending at time of branch change will not be allowed to claim branch change later on based pn revised result.

Rules for EWS and Fee Waiver Students

Fee waiver students can change their branch only against the approved fee-waiver seats in respective branch. AKTU has also clarified that students admitted under EWS category will be treated in same manner as fee-waiver students for branch change. Therefore, EWS students can change their branch only against approved EWS seats.

The approved EWS seats will be treated as additional seats in second year as per applicable AICTE norms. EWS seats will not be included in calculation of vacancies for branch changes under other categories.

Branch change will not be permitted if the number of regular and readmitted students is already equal to or more than the AICTE-approved intake. The university has said that there will be no exception to this rule. A student cannot change from one undergraduate programme to another. If approved, the branch change will become effective from BTech third semester.