Diploma engg may face vacancy this year too as 75,000 apply for over 1.3 lakh seats
   Date :23-Oct-2020

Diploma engg_1  
 
 
Principal Correspondent :
 
The diploma engineering colleges have started gasping almost five years ago as every year it faces vacancy. This year, even after the admission process was extended seventh time only 75,000 got themselves registered for over 1.30 lakh seats. The admission process began from August 10. The number of applicants on September 15 were 70,354 while it reached 76,200 on October 15. In one month only 6,000 applicants added. But that gave Directorate of Technical Education (DTE), the hope that further extension would add more number.
 
With this view, the DTE gave another extension to the admission process to October 27. The provisional merit list would be displayed on October 30 while candidates can raise objections between October 31 and November 2. The final merit list will be displayed on November 4. The number of applicants are too less as compared to the total intake in Diploma Engineering course in Maharashtra. In fact DTE took several measures so that the admissions would be increased.
 
This time no Application Receipt Centre (ARC) was there. Instead facilitation centres for the admission of the students opting post-SSC diploma were run. Considering the pandemic DTE had introduced E-scrutiny to avoid social mixing and the norm of social distancing. The purpose of E-scrutiny was to make the process easy for students. But there was one important negative factor related to quota for Diploma students while getting admissions in degree engineering institutions. Last year All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) reduced the lateral quota of direct admission to second-year engineering courses for students completing diploma course to half. Earlier, the quota was of 20 per cent.
 
It means only 10% of the approved seats were to be filled in second year engineering by diploma students. According to sources, reduction in quota has an impact on the admissions as most students who take admission to diploma colleges aspire to get direct second year admission in degree course. Rise in vacancy may compel diploma colleges to down the shutter.
 
Round 2 MHT CET The Maharashtra Government Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell would be holding Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MHT CET) for second time for the students who missed the first one. The CET Cell has issued notification according to which students are supposed to apply till 11.59 pm of October 23 (Friday). The State CET Cell has conducted MHT CET between October 1 and 9, on the basis of which candidates can get admissions to Degree engineering, pharmacy courses. During the same period, the State CET received many representations from candidates regarding their inability to appear in the examination due to various factors. In order to safeguard the interests of the candidates the State CET Cell proposed to hold additional session for PCB group and PCM group.