Binod Dash, Secretary, Orissa Private Engineering Colleges Association

Bhubaneswar, Nov. 1: The Orissa Private Engineering Colleges Association (Opeca) has moved the Supreme Court seeking permission for engineering colleges to fill the large-scale vacancies through direct admission.

However, apprehensions loom large over the availability of interested candidates for the nearly 24,000 vacant seats.

Opeca secretary Binod Dash put the number of students available at present for engineering admissions between 3,000 and 4,000.

“Despite the high court’s directive, the state government did not show any interest to fill up the vacancies. Our plea to admit students directly fell on deaf ears. So, we were forced to move the Supreme Court. If a decision is not taken soon, we might even lose the 3,000-odd students who are interested for admission,” Dash said.

This year, 53,954 candidates passed the Orissa Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE)-2011 against 40,688 engineering seats. However, only around 13,000 took admission in the first phase of e-counselling, and subsequently, two more rounds of counselling were conducted.

Some norms were relaxed to attract more students for the remaining seats and candidates who had qualified the All India Engineering Entrance Examination were allowed to take admission. Despite all efforts, more than 24,000 seats did not find takers.

Last year, only 17,736 of the 35,670 seats were filled up, forcing the government to conduct a second joint entrance exam.

“Due to the uncertainty over engineering admissions, many students moved out of the state or have already joined other courses.

“It is too late now to get candidates who would be interested for admission. It is November and the first semester is drawing to a close,” said R.N. Panda, principal of the Institute of Higher Secondary Education.

“A second JEE was conducted last year to fill up the 18,000-odd vacancies but only 1,200 took admission. The Opeca claims there are 3,000 students waiting for admissions. But where are they? Why are the students not moving the courts?

“The private colleges are fighting the legal battles because their motive is to make money by admitting students, even those who have secured less than 45 per cent marks in Plus Two science. They are least bothered about quality,” Panda said.

On the other hand, the Orissa Private Engineering Schools Association (Opesa), which manages 78 private engineering schools and polytechnics in the state, has demanded a second round of Diploma Entrance Test (DET) to fill up its vacant seats.

“We have been requesting the industries secretary since August to conduct a second DET-2011. But the department is yet to take a decision,” said Opesa secretary Saroj Kumar Sahoo.

“When a second JEE and second PGAT were conducted last year, why not allow another DET this year? The same Orissa Professional Education Act applies to all professional courses,” Sahoo said, adding about 4,000 candidates were waiting for a second DET.

The state government has requested the All India Council of Technical Education not to give approval for establishing new engineering colleges or increase seat strength without its permission.