Students procure M.Tech forms from the university counter. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, March 18: Private engineering colleges are going all out to woo B.Tech students to take the entrance examination for M.Tech courses. The aim is to ultimately prepare a batch of faculty members for the teacher-starved institutes.

Shortage of quality faculty members in technical education has always remained an area of concern for promoters of higher education in the state. According to AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) rules, the minimum qualification for faculty members in engineering colleges is M.Tech. With just a few days left for submitting online applications of the entrance examination — Post Graduate Admission Test (PGAT) — scores of institutes are wooing students to take the leap. Earlier, the M.Tech entrance used to be conducted in August or September. This year, however, the test is being conducted through Orissa JEE on May 1 and May 8. PGAT 2011 will be held for admission to into first year M.Tech in engineering, pharmacy and architecture.

“The M.Tech scenario in the state is relatively better than that of B.Tech,” said Binod Dash, secretary of the Orissa Private Engineering Colleges Association. Interestingly, 100 per cent seats are filled up in M.Tech computer science. But seats continue remain vacant in core engineering streams such as mechanical, electrical and civil. The huge demand for M.Tech in computer science can be attributed to various reasons.

“One of them is that there are fewer jobs available for B.Tech computer students which leaves them with M.Tech as an option to make a career in academics,” said Dash. About 14 colleges in the state offer M.Tech programmes and have a total of 1,347 seats. As the dates draw close, scores of private colleges have already started targeting B.Tech final year students to take admission into their institutions.

“I have already received a couple of calls reminding me of the last date of application,” said Snigdha, a B.Tech final year student at a private college here. While Snigdha is in two minds about taking the entrance test, her roommate Sudha is already preparing for it. “I have already filled up the online form and sent the demand draft,” she said.

“There remains a huge shortfall of qualified faculty members across the country and I want to try my hand at teaching,” she added.