Patna: It was a roller coaster of emotions at the fourth annual convocation of Aryabhatta Knowledge University (AKU) for the students.

They were happy to receive the degree from Governor Satya Pal Malik, but at the same time they were upset as despite completing their course, majority of them are yet to land a job.

Under the AKU, out of 93 educational institutions affiliated with the university, there are 27 engineering colleges which include government as well as private ones where around 3,000 students study. The engineering students who receive the degree were from the 2013-17 batch.

Jitendra Kumar, a civil engineering passout from Muzaffarpur Institute of Technology (MIT), Muzaffarpur, said: "The placement scene at government engineering colleges, including MIT, is very poor. Last year, very few companies visited the institute for placement." Jitendra said: "Prism Cement Ltd which has been visiting the institute for the past previous years, too didn't turn up for recruiting students. Prism Cement Ltd officials stated that due to demonetisation they had no plan for recruitment." Sanjeet Kumar, a mechanical engineering student from MIT, said the placement scene at government engineering college has always remained poor. He said: "The placement scene at government engineering colleges has always remained poor with very few companies visiting the institute for recruitment, but for our batch, the scene was even bad as due to demonetisation and job cuts, there were no major recruiters."

Priya Ranjan Jyoti, a civil engineering student from Darbhanga College of Engineering, too, had a similar view on the poor placement track record. The girl from Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur too has not been placed. Jyoti said: "As there was no campus placement in our institute, I am left with no other alternative but to prepare for Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) examination."

Sources said poor placement at government engineering colleges has always remained an issue as neither the college administration nor the government takes initiative for placement of students.

The work of the AKU under which all engineering and medical colleges come, is preparing the syllabus, holding examination and declaring results.

SM Karim, the pro-VC of AKU, said: "Our job is holding examination on time and declaring results so that academic sessions don't get delayed. It is the colleges concerned and the science and technology department that looks after placements of students."

Karim's statement assumes importance as on one hand, government engineering colleges have poor placement track record, the state government is on a spree in opening new engineering colleges every year. In the past two years, nine engineering colleges have been set up in Patna, Madhepura, Sitamarhi, Sasaram, Katihar and Begusarai, Saharsa, Purnea and Supaul.