Red alert for engg, thumbs up for BSc

By Yogesh Avasthi | May 18, 2016, (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://ahmedabadmirror.indiatimes.com/ahmedabad/cover-story/Red-alert-for-engg-thumbs-up-for-BSc/articleshow/52314857.cms

The class 12 science result of Gujarat state board announced on Tuesday has brought out some startling statistics. While engineering seats are set to go abegging, BSc will find more than its fair share of takers. The pass percentage in the state was 79.03, which was seven per cent less compared to last year when 86.10 percentage of science students cleared the class 12 board. In Group A (Maths, Chem, Phy), as many as 64,653 students in state cleared the class 12 exams last year compared to 57,074 this year, which was 7,579 students less than in 2015.
In Group B (Bio, Phy, Chem) 43,402 students cleared the examination in 2015 compared to 49,269 this year, 5,867 more than last year. According to data released by Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB), of the total of 57,074 successful students, 51,065 students will be eligible for admission to engineering colleges. As per the eligibility criteria for engineering, general category students will get admission with a minimum of 45 per cent and reserved category at 40 per cent. The scene is likely to deteriorate further compared to last year. As per the Admission Committee for Professional Courses, for 125 colleges across the state, the total number of seats were 71,799, of which 28,305 seats remained vacant last year.
This year, ACPC will allocate 70,409 seats. With 51,065 vying for admission, more than 20,000 seats will clearly remain vacant. Besides a number of students will join IITs, BSc and other courses leading to more vacancies in engineering colleges. With new engineering colleges coming up, this number will go up manifold. According to ACPC sources, around 50 to 60 per cent engineering seats are likely to go vacant. Moreover, there will be no takers for management seats. G P Vadodaria, member secretary, ACPC, said, "Looking at the situation, the number of seats remaining vacant is likely to be more than last year."
According to Director General of Nirma University Anup Singh, the prime reason for diminishing interest in engineering is also fading employment opportunities in management course. "Earlier, students studied bachelor of engineering and then MBA as employment opportunities were promising. Now, even the combination of these degrees doesn't promise employment," Singh said. The increasing number of vacant seats have been a constant affair for the past few years. "It is because B-grade and C-grade engineering institutes come up in state and they fail to make students employable," he said.

Association of Self-Financed Colleges (ASFC) president Janak Khandwala said, "The class 12 result this year is a red alert for engineering and other professional colleges. The biggest drawback of this situation will be that colleges in rural areas will have few takers as students will prefer city colleges." Rupesh Vasani, director of SAL Institute of Technology said that not all students who are eligible will take admission in degree engineering. "There will be students opting for IITs and other reputed institutes. Many of them might also get admission in private universities in state. This means, not less than 5,000 students will not opt to take admission through ACPC," Vasani said.

SAVE ENGINEERING MOVE

To save this situation, the ASFC is demanding that Group B which has a large pool of students, be allowed to take admission in engineering by providing them with a bridge course in Maths. The board can then take their exam and admit them to engineering.

BSC WILL TAKE OFF

In Group B, of the 49,269 students who cleared the exam, as many as 42,172 students will be eligible for around 12,000 medical and para-medical seats courses. The next option for students left out will be BSc. Head of Admission Committee for BSc at Gujarat University B K Jain said, "There will be a huge rush in BSc colleges and all science colleges will be filled. Since medical admissions will be delayed due to NEET, all Group B students and some Group A students will take admission in BSc. This will result in meritorious students occupying BSc seats and deny students who really want to pursue it but are low in merit list."