SIVAGANGA: Despite a steep rise in the number of students applying for BE/B Tech courses through lateral entry in 2021-22, 64,000 seats could still go unfilled. The Higher Education Department had announced that admission via lateral entry (joining the second year directly) in government, government-aided engineering colleges, university departments and constituency colleges of Anna University and for seats surrendered by self-financing engineering colleges, would be through a unified single window.
The coordinator of lateral entry K Baskaran from Department of EEE of Alagappa Chettiar Government College of Engineering and Technology (ACGCET) in Karaikudi said 26,000 students across the State had applied for BE/B Tech lateral entry programme in 2021-22, which is 17,500 more than the previous academic year.
Baskaran said while 26,000 students have registered, only those who upload their certificates before September 11 (date may be extended) would be on the final list for ranking, department choice selection and other criteria for admission. “The number of students who submitted their certificates was 8,500 in 2020-21 and 9,100 in 2019-20. There are 90,000 seats (10% of the sanctioned strength in the each college) for lateral entry in 470 colleges in the State but the number of students who applied is 26,000. So there will be 64,000 unfilled seats this year,” he said.
Dr K Manonmani, the principal of ACGCET, said counselling for lateral entry programme would be conducted online in four phases. Before the pandemic struck, counselling for lateral entry used to be held at ACGCET in Karaikudi.
On the reasons behind the rise in applications this year, Baskaran said the government had allowed students from any background to apply for any branch through lateral entry. “A mechanical diploma student could apply for BE CSE or EEE in lateral entry,” he said.
A private engineering college principal from the district said last year, some students could not apply because diploma courses’ results were not announced. “Such students became ineligible during the admission last year so they applied this year,” he said.
The principal claimed the number of students taking admission in engineering courses (including lateral entry) has been declining. “We have to wait and see how many of the applicants take up engineering. Many students opt out if they don’t get the course or college of their choice,” he said.