Bhubaneswar: The technical and professional institutions in Odisha will be allowed a 25 per cent increase in seats to ensure that the 10 per cent reservation recently given to the Economically Backward Section (EWS) does not disturb existing quotas for the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes.
The enhancement will be done in conformation with the notification of the Skill Development and Technical Education department and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) approval process handbook 2022-23 which will be applicable to all state university departments, technical and professional institutes, both government and private.
The increase in seats, however, will only double the vacancies misery in private engineering and technical institutions in the state. There are 32,000 seats in BTech in 86 colleges and institutes including 4,000 government colleges. After the increase in seats, the number will go up to 40,000.
Notably, there were no takers for 60 per cent seats in engineering and technical institutions in 2021. While 88 per cent of seats were filled in eight government engineering institutions, only 36 per cent were filled after OJEE counselling in private institutes.
“The vacancy will surely go up given the enrollment rate of recent years. The institutions, however, may get a few more seats filled up through the reservation,” an OJEE Committee official told TNIE.
Since October 10 has been fixed as the last date for the commencement of induction programme for first-year students of technical courses, technical and professional universities and institutions have been asked to take measures accordingly.
