THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At least 30 self-financing engineering colleges in the state face the threat of closure due to low admission rates over the past five years. Sources said half of the seats remain vacant with a drop of 4,000-5,000 every year. This year, there would be more vacant seats. Reason: Less demand for engineering courses as students prefer those in diversified areas. As per the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) statistics, seven self-financing engineering colleges were shut down in the past four years while at least 30 are struggling. At present, 112 self-financing engineering colleges function in the state.
The Kerala Self-Financing Engineering College Management Association (KSFECMA) alleged the state government did not extend any support to the colleges.
KSFECMA general secretary K G Madhu said the association members would meet Higher Education Minister K T Jaleel soon after the elections and seek a permanent solution.
“It’s true there’s a drastic dip in admissions. We had to stop many courses as branches like electrical and computer science, which were high in demand a decade ago, don’t have much takers. Hence, the AICTE has suggested beginning new courses, including in designing, which are more job-oriented. We’ll make some changes from the next academic year,” Madhu said.