With a record number of seats in engineering colleges across the state finding no takers, the All India Council for Technical Education has asked the college managements to inform it before December if they want to close their institutions on account of the poor intake. Nearly 1 lakh engineering seats are lying vacant after two phases of Eamcet engineering counselling. Another 1 lakh seats in management quota are expected to remain vacant after the due date of October 31.
Nearly 3.4 lakh seats are available in 717 engineering colleges in the state — the highest in the country. According to information, 22 engineering colleges recorded ‘zero admission’ and 229 others had less than 100 admissions this year, making them financially unviable to operate. The AICTE fears that academic standards will be affected if colleges with poor intake are allowed to operate, as their managements will not be in a position to pay salaries to faculty and non-teaching staff, and provide facilities to students as per AICTE norms.
The Council has thus issued a notification asking the managements of colleges with poor intake to inform it before December whether they want to close their institutions. The decision was taken to ensure students enrolled in these colleges get adequate time to shift to other institutions in case of closure. It is also a move to check the managements from hurriedly selling off their colleges or lease out the premises for other purposes.