62,086 Bachelor of Engineering seats vacant in Maharashtra this year

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The admissions process for Bachelor of Engineering (BE) ended after the cut-off round finished last week, with 50 per cent of the seats vacant in the state.

Mechanical engineering had the maximum number of vacancies with 24,344 seats out of the 33,900, not filled. Electrical engineering recorded 8,251 seats vacant out of 11,944 seats; and Civil engineering has 14,002 seats vacant in out of 20,832 seats. 

Private engineering colleges are affected the most. Apart from prominent colleges, most have hardly able to fill up seats for this year.

The reason given for this downfall by education experts is that students are now turning towards more hands-on courses, rather than opting for a four-year engineering course.

Prof B B Ahuja, director of the College of Engineering Pune (COEP), said, “Getting a job after completing any course is the major reason behind low number of engineering admissions, as students want job assurance after they finish any course. Placement scenario is a major outcome of doing any academic course and it is driving the demand for these engineering courses. Unless the engineering institutes are able to bring quality to education and drive it differently, admission intake will not get a boost. Overall, we should also look at curriculum which needs to give more hands-on exposure to students. I think we have to partner with the industry to deliver what they want.” 

Kamalkishore Ramvilasji Atal, retired professor from Pune Institute of Computer Technology (PICT), said, “There are various reasons for engineering seats remaining vacant. A multidirectional and multidimensional game was played successfully, created a false picture that all engineers earn handsome salaries. This diluted the entry level to degree engineering by various ways and means, diluted the syllabi and degraded the university examination system.”

Abhay Wagh, state director of department of technical education, said, “We are looking at BE admissions this year and yes, it is a matter of concern that number of vacant seats have increased compared to last year. We will, through various programmes, try to encourage students who have filled the applications to take the admissions.