Engineering seats take the heat of admissions

Getting into an engineering institute has never been easier. As the application counter closed on Saturday, it was clear that everyone desiring to pursue the course would be absorbed. Reason: there are more seats than the number of applications that have poured in.Data from the directorate of technical education, which conducts the admissions to all engineering colleges, shows that a total of 1,02,961 students applied to join an engineering college and the state has 1,14,268 seats. Maharashtra has many more seats 1,14,268.

Last year, about 22,000 seats had gone abegging. This year, a lot depends on the final decision that the state takes on setting the eligibility criteria for students wanting to join the course.The All India Council of Technical Education has set new eligibility criteria. Now, the requirement stands at 45% in qualifying subjects like physics, chemistry and math in class XII; it is 40% for the reserved category students. But till last year, Maharashtra expected its engineering aspirants to score at least 50% in those subjects.

Sources said that while the state is yet to take a call on whether or not to lower the eligibility bar, students with 45% have also applied. Moreover, students just need a mark in the state's common entrance test to join an engineering course.Although seats may go vacant, this is an ideal situation because students will be able to choose,said an official.Meanwhile, 1.51 lakh applications have come in for diploma courses for 1.32 lakh seats. But the application deadline has been extended to July 11, after students complained that they had not received their non-creamy layer certificates.Students who do not get their certificates by July 11, can take admission as general category students and then submit their respective certificates by July 14. We don't want any student to be left out for want of paperwork, said an official.