Chennai: With the Anna University’s single window counselling for government quota seats (academic stream) in engineering colleges across the state to end on July 28, about one lakh seats are expected to go vacant this year.
Anna University started the counselling on July 1 with 1,54,238 students applying for 2.1 lakh government quota seats. The university has called 1,35,703 students so far for counselling of whom 93,917 got admitted to various colleges, 41,282 abstained from counselling and 504 attended but did not take any seat. A total of 50,148 students belonging to the first graduates in their family category also took seats.
Mechanical engineering (23,039) turned out to be the most sought after course among engineering aspirants, followed by electronics and communication engineering (17,097) and computer engineering (13,267). According to career counsellor Jayaprakash A. Gandhi, as many as one lakh seats would go vacant in government quota engineering counselling this year, chemical engineering got a boost with several students joining the course even in tier-3 colleges.
“Compared to last year, the preference for electrical & electronics engineering and civil engineering have gone up this year,” he said.
Asked about the increase in vacancy this year, Prof A.K. Natesan, chairman of Excel group institutions and secretary of Association of Management of Coimbatore Anna University Affiliated Colleges alleged that deemed universities, which admit students more than their sanctioned intake, take away a major portion of students who would have otherwise joined private engineering colleges.
“One should not look at the government quota vacancy as several colleges fill up seats in the management quota,” he said.
Alumni association tries to help students get placements
The alumni association of the College of Engineering Guindy recently conducted a career guidance session to give the final year students an insight about the corporate world and at the same time to prepare them for the placement which is due next month. The declining rate of placement at the college prompted the alumni to hold the two-day session over the weekend. More than 500 students attended the session that ended on Sunday.
On the first day, students were made aware about job opportunities for mechanical engineers in oil companies, manufacturing companies etc. On the second day, the students had to go through mock interviews and group discussions.
“We concentrated on employability. We have a resource team associated with a particular branch of profession like that of IT, Electrical or electronics,” said G.L. Ramasheshan, convener of the alumni association and the leader of the session.
The team had a session with final-year students to make them aware about various professions and the opportunities available, he said. Many interactive sessions were also held with students. Students do not know of a lot of opportunities, said V. Venkatraman, resource team leader.
“For example, mechanical engineers see IOCL as just an oil company. They know about Ashok Leyland, Hyundai but may not be aware of vital areas or highly paid areas or hi-tech areas where jobs are available,” he said. He also pointed out that students do not have any idea about job opportunities in projects like Metro.
Electronics and communication engineering season’s hot favourite among girls
Electronics and communication engineering has become the most preferred stream among girls as about 70 per cent of the seats allotted for them have got filled, the trend in Anna University’s engineering counselling has shown. The counselling comes to an end on July 28. Of the 17,097 seats allotted thus far, 11,841 have gone to girls. ECE is the subject which will not only help them get government jobs but also a lucrative job in one of the top IT companies, some of the girls who opted for it said.
“I have taken up ECE as I will get a job in one of the government departments like Tangedco, BHEL and SAIL, besides Central government jobs. With the rapid development in the IT and telecom sector there is a chance that I can get into top companies for a lucrative pay packet,” said S. Madhubanti who hails from Salem. She has opted for ECE in a college at Salem.
T. Abhinithi, another student from Tambaram, said she was initially confused between the options of IT and ECE. On her parents’ suggestion she took ECE. “I want to work in an IT company. As my parents want me to take up ECE so as to make me sit for Group 1 and Group 2, I joined ECE. I don’t regret taking ECE as I can pursue IT at a later point of time too,” she said. While majority of the female aspirants were found taking up ECE, only two per cent of the girls had opted automobile engineering. Out of 1,135 seats allotted in automobile engineering, they took only 20 seats.
Few takers for M.E programme
Anna University has received 10,000 applications for 16,000 seats as part of the Tamil Nadu Common Admission (TANCA) counselling for M.E and M.Tech programmes this year. The university has published in its website the rank list for eligible candidates. Counselling will take place between August 3 and 7.
Eligible candidates whose ranks are published in Anna University website may attend counselling with all required original certificates as per their rank, cut-off mark, date and time. Candidates can download call letters from the website (www.annauniv.edu/tanca2015) as separate call letters will not be sent.
Asked for his comments as to why fewer students apply for M.E and M.Tech, Prof S.S. Mantha, former chairman of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) said that several institutions failed to tie up with industry for training and employment, besides companies too mostly prefer under graduate (B.E & B.Tech) students as they can train undergraduate students for a less pay packet than M.Tech graduates.
“Factors like these make fewer undergrad students take up post graduation. Unless colleges improve their quality and tie-ups with industry they cannot expect more students,” he said. Last year, Anna University received about 12,000 applications from post graduate aspirants.
University sources said that one should not come to a conclusion looking only at the TANCA figures as several students would also join engineering colleges directly as there is no mandate for the institutions to surrender their seats for Anna University counselling as in the case of B.E and B. Tech.
