Toppers indifferent to joining State colleges

• Around 800 take back certificates
• 4000 stay away from web options
• Hundreds of rankers decide to forgo convener quota

The fears that engineering education in the state is fast losing its sheen have been coming true! At the end of deadline of registering web options on Thursday, more than 4000 rankers- who attended certificate verification- chose to stay away from the process, giving signals of further drop in admissions. As many as 1,26,084 rankers have registered their web options by September 12 evening. Although, there is time to make corrections in the next couple of days, the rankers not giving the options at all indicate that more students preferred ‘other options’ like joining in some other institutions or preferring private colleges etc. This is in addition to more than 800 students taking back their certificates after the verification. Officials expect some more will opt out at the end of correction process i.e. September 16. The seat allotment will be done on September 17.

The dismal picture was evident even during the certificate verification itself, which ended on September 3. Only one candidate in the top 60 rankers has turned up for verification and among the first 100 rankers, only three rankers have attended. It was less than fifty up to first 1000 ranks and 263 rankers below 2000 rankers attended for verification. In the first 20,000 rankers, only 6889 got their certificates verified and below 50,000, it was just 7221.Among the one first one lakh rankers, 64,056 candidates have attended for verification and among the 2,00000- the this figure has gone up to 1,20, 538. So,the figures speak the kind of interests among the top rankers for the tech colleges in the state.

Most of those who are preferring to study at the state engineering colleges- either university or private- were rankers between 50,000-1,00,000 and beyond. There is practically no interest among the remaining lot, officials admitted. Interestingly, hundreds of rankers have decided to forgo the convener quota seat as well and preferred private colleges, even though the cost of the study goes manifolds. This was despite the fact many of them had been eligible to get fee reimbursement.

Then why this disinterest? The reasons are simple and known to everyone. Not just the delayed admissions but the reduced fee structure of a number of private college has a telling effect on the admission process. Many students felt that except getting a degree, they will not get anything extra if they join in any of the institution in the small towns and municipalities across the state.

Another important factor was said to be concerned over placements. More than 500 engineering colleges in the state don’t get even a single company of some stature to conduct campus placements. Students want to join in colleges where they can do a better project and seize an opportunity at any MNC. “If I study at the lower level colleges, I don’t get even a minimum score at the GATE, leave alone placement” Vijay Tripathi, a city-based ranker who got around 21,000 rank remarked. He preferred to join in city-based top rung private college, forgoing convener quota seat.

According to official estimates, more than 22,000 rankers have already left for other institutions, either inside the state or outside. While the toppers have already joined in IITs, NITs, deemed varsities and other national-level institutions, others have reportedly changed their course of study.