Bhubaneswar, March 4: The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has agreed to the Orissa Private Engineering Schools Association’s demand to reduce the minimum eligibility criteria for admission to diploma courses from 50 per cent to 35 per cent aggregate marks for high school pass outs.

Issued for the 2011-12 academic year, the new AICTE norms had irked the promoters of engineering schools who apprehended that the council’s move would worsen the situation of these institutions, which are hit by large-scale vacant seats for the last two years.

The minimum pass marks in the state is 33 per cent, and for the past few years, the number of first division holders is only 12 per cent.

The schools further argued that more than 60 per cent students secure third division and 40 per cent pass in the second division.

However, amendments in the rule have been brought about recently, following a meeting of officials of AICTE and the Orissa Private Engineering Schools Association (OPESA).

“The AICTE has agreed to bring amendments in two rules,” said OPESA secretary, Saroj Sahoo.

“Besides agreeing to bring down the minimum eligibility criteria, the AICTE has also agreed to consider the ITI pass out trainees eligible for the lateral entry. Earlier, the new AICTE rules had no scope for lateral entry. However, as per the amended rules, the ITI pass out trainees with 60 per cent mark aggregate will be considered for lateral entry,” Sahoo said. With two rules already amended, the association is now trying to press the government to consider the 12th science pass out candidates to be allowed to appear the tests.

“As per the earlier practice, students of Plus Two science were eligible for lateral entry admission to second year of diploma engineering stream. However, the revised rule puts the eligibility criteria for admission under lateral entry scheme to second year diploma courses as “12th science with vocational course”.

“This will again deprive many interested students who want to pursue the higher technical course,” Sahoo said.

“Since the state of Orissa has nothing like Plus Two science with vocational course, we will request the government that Plus Two science should be considered equivalent to Plus Two science with vocational course,” he said.

The OPESA team today met industries secretary, T. Ramachandru to press for this amendment.

For the past two years, engineering schools across the state have been facing a severe crisis with almost 50 per cent of the seats remaining vacant.

“As it is, the large vacancies are making the institutions financially weaker. We are glad that amendments have been brought about in the new norms.

“Or else, the situation could have only deteriorated,” said the association secretary.