Government has made it mandatory for all technical institutes approved by All India Council for Technical Education, AICTE, to reserve up to five per cent seats for students from economically backward sections of the society. Unveiling the revised AICTE norms for session 2011-2012 in New Delhi, Human Resource Development Minister, Mr Kapil Sibal said that the technical institutes can increase the intake capacity per programme from 40 to 60 seats. Opening up the doors to the corporate sector, he said that companies can also set up technical institutes under section 25 of the Company's Act and no joint ventures can apply for this. He added that the institutions can be set up through Public-Private Partnership in 241 districts identified across the country in this regard. Further relaxing norms, he said that for setting up Engineering Institutes in rural sector, only 10 acre will be required while in urban area it will be only 2.5 acre. He said the measures are aimed at to ease the pressure on the education sector. Mr Sibal also announced that AICTE is coming up with a system of e-governance to ensure transparency and swift decision making. He said that AICTE will process all approvals for Polytechnics and also regulate all autonomous PGDM courses not affiliated to any university. Also students pursuing Vocational and Technical Courses in various State Boards will get later entry directly into the second year of degree programs. Mr Sibal said B.Sc students can seek lateral entry to a second year degree programme provided they have passed Mathematics at XII or at B.Sc level besides engineering graphics and engineering mechanics along with second year subjects.