OF LATE, one sees a host of deemed and  private universities offering engineering degrees, both in soft disciplines like IT and Software engineering as well as hard disciplines like Mechanical, Electrical and Electronics Engineering.  The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), which was set up to regulate, monitor, plan and coordinate the technical education system in the country, has cautioned students to be wary of distance education institutions offering such programmes  in the open and distance learning (ODL) mode.

In principle AICTE does not recognise programmes in core engineering disciplines which require lab facilities under the distance learning mode. So as on date any college which offers a BE/ BTech through correspondence/ online mode is doing so without approval or recognition. The DEC has accepted the same and ordered all approved universities to cease correspondence BE/ BTech offerings. But the order as on date has been stayed by the Delhi High court. 

The only way one can pursue an engineering degree in the country by correspondence mode is to register for membership-based examinations of the various approved institutions of engineers. A list of most popular offerings is on the page alongside to make your decision easier.