New Delhi | November 13, 2025 – The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) is set to convene a meeting to finalise the draft of the Professional Engineers Bill, 2025, a landmark legislation aimed at regulating the engineering profession in India. The draft, once finalised, is expected to be presented in the upcoming winter session of Parliament, scheduled from December 1 to 19, officials confirmed on Thursday.

The Bill is designed to create a statutory framework to register and regulate practising engineers, bringing the engineering profession in line with other regulated fields such as medicine, law, and pharmacy. Currently, engineering remains one of the few major professions in India without a licensing or registration system, leaving accountability and standardisation of professional practice largely unmonitored.

Drafting and Stakeholder Consultation

The draft legislation has been developed by an AICTE expert committee chaired by M.S. Ananth, former director of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras. Following its preparation, the draft was opened for stakeholder feedback from March 19 to April 10, 2025, receiving suggestions from engineers, academic institutions, professional bodies, and industry representatives.

A senior AICTE official said, “We have received a substantial number of suggestions from various stakeholders. A meeting will be held next week to discuss these inputs and finalise the draft. After this, the Bill will be forwarded to the Ministry of Education and may be introduced in the winter session of Parliament.”

Former AICTE member secretary Rajive Kumar, who served on the expert committee that drafted the initial version of the Bill, noted that deliberations on establishing a regulatory framework for engineers began six to seven years ago. “It was realised that engineering, unlike other professions, lacked a licensing system. The Bill aims to create a structure to identify, certify, and regulate practising engineers while ensuring professional accountability and higher standards,” Kumar explained.

Creation of Indian Professional Engineers’ Council (IPEC)

One of the core provisions of the proposed law is the establishment of a 27-member Indian Professional Engineers’ Council (IPEC), which will oversee registration, certification, and continuous professional development for engineers. IPEC is envisioned as a statutory authority akin to the Bar Council for lawyers or the Medical Council for doctors.

According to the draft, the IPEC will comprise 16 members nominated by the Board and 11 representatives from professional engineering organisations. Nominated members will include officials from the Ministry of Education, key engineering-related ministries, premier academic institutions like IITs and National Institutes of Technology (NITs), state governments, and industry bodies including the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Affiliate members will represent leading professional associations such as the Institution of Engineers (India) and the Indian National Academy of Engineering, among others, on a rotational basis.

The Council will be overseen by a 12-member board of governors, chaired by a distinguished professional with at least 25 years of experience. Members of the board will include senior government officials, heads of premier institutions, and eminent practitioners across civil and other engineering disciplines. Selection of the chairperson will be carried out by a five-member search-cum-selection committee.

Scope of Registration and Applicability

Under the proposed law, engineers engaged in professional practice—for instance, working on construction projects, infrastructure development, or industrial engineering—will be required to register with IPEC. However, individuals pursuing academic or teaching roles in engineering institutions will not be required to obtain registration. Kumar clarified, “If a civil engineer joins as faculty at a college, registration is not mandatory. But if the same engineer takes on professional projects, registration under the Professional Engineers Bill will be required once the law comes into force.”

To ensure smooth implementation, the Bill proposes a transitional period of five to ten years for practising engineers to obtain registration, preventing abrupt enforcement and allowing time for compliance. Additionally, IPEC will oversee continuous training and certification, particularly in emerging technologies, ensuring that professionals stay updated with evolving engineering practices.

Engagement with Professional Bodies

Professional bodies have been actively engaged in the consultation process. In April, the Indian Society of Structural Engineers (ISSE), representing over 3,000 civil engineers, submitted a request to AICTE for at least two permanent seats on IPEC. Such representation aims to ensure that practising engineers have a direct voice in regulatory and policy matters.

The draft legislation also emphasizes uniform standards of practice across the country, providing a benchmark for quality, accountability, and professional ethics. Once enacted, the national licensing system is expected to enhance credibility and public trust in the engineering profession while ensuring consistent standards across states and sectors.

Significance for India’s Engineering Sector

India’s engineering education landscape is vast, with over 5,800 AICTE-affiliated engineering and diploma collegeseducating more than 30 lakh students. The Professional Engineers Bill, 2025 is expected to standardize professional practice for millions of graduates entering the workforce annually.

By introducing a structured registration and licensing system, the Bill seeks to address challenges such as unregulated practice, substandard project execution, and lack of professional accountability. Experts believe that regulated practice under IPEC will also facilitate better integration of Indian engineers into global projects, strengthen professional mobility, and enhance India’s reputation in international engineering standards.

Next Steps and Parliamentary Presentation

Following the upcoming AICTE meeting to finalise the draft, the Bill will be forwarded to the Ministry of Education for approval and subsequent introduction in Parliament. If passed, the Professional Engineers Bill, 2025 will mark a milestone in India’s regulatory framework, providing engineers with a formal statutory body to uphold ethics, standards, and accountability in their practice.

With rapid infrastructure development, growing industrial projects, and increased demand for specialized engineering expertise, the establishment of IPEC and a national licensing system is seen as an essential step toward modernizing and professionalizing India’s engineering sector.