The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Counselling: 9,000 engineering seats allotted; 75 per cent for computer courses

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Aug 07, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Counselling: 9,000 engineering seats allotted; 75 per cent for computer courses

V. Jayanth

No takers for seats in 132 self-financing private colleges in the State

CHENNAI: : At the end of the first week of counselling for engineering admissions, 9,000 out of the 41,800 seats on offer through the Single Window System (SWS) have been filled. Close to 75 per cent are in computer-related courses such as Electronics and Communication, Computer Science, Electrical and Electronics, Information Technology, Electronics and Instrumentation, and Instrumentation and Control.

A significant feature of the SWS is that not a seat has been taken in 132 private self-financing colleges.

Counselling began last Saturday for the academic stream. In the first week ending August 4, the Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions (TNEA) System allotted 9,304 out of the 41,800-odd seats available. This has grown with a few colleges surrendering more seats after counselling began. About 12,400 students were called for counselling in the four centres during the first week. But 3,096 of them either failed to turn up or, even when they did, did not pick a seat. Last year, too, only 10,202 seats were allotted in the first week, though 14,000 students were called.

According to an analysis by career consultant and analyst Jayaprakash Gandhi, 74.4 per cent of the students opted for "circuit branches" and 9.98 per cent chose Mechanical Engineering. In the circuit branches, ECE topped, with 2,427 seats being allotted, followed by Computer Science (1859), EEE (1175), EEE (Sandwich) (32), IT (1145), Electronics and Instrumentation (250) and Instrumentation and Controls (36).

Going by the analysis, only 899 students opted for Mechanical, 242 for Civil, 297 for Bio-Tech, 126 for Chemical and 99 for Aeronautical Engineering. Nine branches had only single digit admissions and a few courses had no takers. Most of the students coming in the top bracket of admissions have plumped for colleges in the Chennai and Coimbatore regions.

Anna University sources appear concerned at the students' lack of interest in some of the latest job-oriented courses such as Polymer Technology, Chemical Technology (Petro Chemical and Paper and Pulp), Petroleum Engineering and Pharmaceutical Engineering, in which only one or three seats have been taken. No seat has been allotted in Chemical Technology (Fertilizer and Chemical), Chemical Technology (Cement Technology) and Textile Chemistry.

Mr. Gandhi says the cut-off marks for some traditional branches may fall by 9 when compared to last year. For the "circuit branches" it was likely to be 3-4 marks. "The reasons are clear. A number of students have secured seats either in deemed universities or under the management quota in self-financing institutions. They come to the SWS counselling to see whether they can get a better college or seat. There will be more students in the coming days, who will not pick a seat because in the 200-240 mark range, most have taken up management quota seats."

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