Modernisation and Removal of Obsolescence (MODROB)

What is MODROB (Modernisation and Removal of Obsolescence)?

Modernisation and Removal of Obsolescence (MODROB) is a scheme of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the statutory regulator of technical education under the Ministry of Education, Government of India. MODROB provides financial support to AICTE-approved technical institutions to modernise their laboratories and workshops, replace obsolete equipment, and keep teaching and research facilities current with industry practice.

According to AICTE's scheme framework, MODROB sits within the council's research promotion and institutional development schemes. Its purpose is not to hand money to individuals but to raise the quality of infrastructure in engineering, management, pharmacy, architecture and allied technical colleges so that students learn on equipment that reflects present-day technology.

Core objectives of MODROB

• Modernise laboratory and workshop facilities in AICTE-approved institutions.
• Remove and replace obsolete instruments and machinery.
• Strengthen industry-institution interaction, including industry-sponsored upgrades of teaching and research facilities.
• Improve the practical, hands-on component of technical education.

MODROB is a matching-share grant. AICTE meets a defined portion of the cost of the new equipment and the applicant institution contributes the balance, along with the space and supporting infrastructure. Because MODROB is delivered to institutions and not to citizens, there is no personal application, no Aadhaar-based enrolment and no direct benefit transfer to an individual.

Who is eligible for MODROB?

MODROB eligibility rests with the institution, not the individual.

An institution can apply if:

• It currently holds valid AICTE approval to run technical programmes.
• It proposes to modernise a specific laboratory or workshop, with a clear list of obsolete equipment to be replaced and modern equipment to be added.
• It commits its matching share of the cost and provides the space and infrastructure for the upgraded facility.
• A regular faculty member is available to act as Principal Investigator and the head of the institution endorses the proposal.

Who cannot apply: Individual students, individual teachers acting in a personal capacity, private companies seeking a subsidy, and members of the public are not eligible to apply for a personal MODROB benefit. Institutions that do not hold current AICTE approval also cannot apply. MODROB is therefore not a scholarship or a stipend, a student looking for personal financial support should look instead at AICTE's student development and scholarship schemes, which are separate.

A faculty member's role is limited to acting as Principal Investigator on behalf of the institution; the grant is sanctioned to the institution, which is accountable for the funds and the assets purchased.

What documents are required for MODROB?

How to apply for MODROB

MODROB is applied for by the institution online during an AICTE call for proposals. There is no walk-in or citizen application.

1. Watch the AICTE portal (aicte-india.org) for the MODROB call for proposals under the research promotion / institutional development schemes, which opens for a defined window.
2. Have the institution register and log in to the AICTE portal with its approved-institution credentials.
3. Nominate a regular faculty member as Principal Investigator to prepare the proposal.
4. Fill in the online proposal — the laboratory or workshop to be modernised, the obsolete equipment to be removed, the modern equipment proposed, expected learning and research outcomes, and an itemised budget.
5. Show the matching contribution from the institution and attach the undertaking on funds, space and infrastructure.
6. Obtain the head of institution's endorsement and submit the proposal online before the deadline.
7. Track the proposal through AICTE's evaluation; if sanctioned, follow AICTE's grant-release, utilisation and reporting conditions.

Because the ceiling amount, matching ratio and the exact components (including any industry-sponsored route) are set fresh in each AICTE call, institutions should read the current MODROB notification and scheme document on the AICTE portal before finalising the budget.

How much does MODROB provide?

MODROB provides a one-time modernisation grant on a matching-share basis: AICTE funds part of the cost of the approved equipment and the institution funds the rest. The precise upper limit has been revised by AICTE over the years and is stated in each year's call for proposals, so the live figure should be confirmed on the AICTE portal rather than assumed. The grant is tied to the specific laboratory or workshop in the sanctioned proposal and must be used for the equipment listed, subject to AICTE's utilisation and asset-verification rules.

Help and where to verify MODROB details

• Official portal: aicte-india.org (redirects to aicte.gov.in), under the schemes section.
• MODROB does not run a dedicated citizen helpline; institutional queries go through the AICTE portal's contact and grievance channels.

Because MODROB is an institutional scheme with parameters that change per call, this guide deliberately avoids quoting a fixed grant ceiling. Institutions should treat the current AICTE MODROB call for proposals as the authoritative source for the amount, matching ratio, eligibility fine-print and deadlines.