The demand for engineering courses in the State is on the decline as is evident from more than 27,000 seats still lying vacant in the engineering colleges after a second-phase OJEE admission.
Even after 4,073 seats were reduced in 2019-20 academic session in view of a low percentage of students’ enrolment into engineering courses, the seats are still unfulfilled after admission in two phases.
Admission would have been held for a total of 34,223 seats for the students securing rank in the Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE) this year.
But only 20 per cent of the seats are filled up so far and the remaining 80 per cent of seats vacant both in Government and private engineering colleges.
Only 7,100 students have taken admission in two phases. Over 27,000 seats are yet to be filled.
While the seats in the top branches of engineering courses have been filled, the students show less interest to get enrolled into the non-trending courses. However, some more seats are expected to be filled up in a special OJEE counseling, according to Odisha Private Engineering College Association (OPECA) secretary Binod Dash.
Later, admission would be held at the college level, said Dash, adding that some more seats would still remain vacant even after all phases of admission.
It all suggests a lack of interest among students in the State to pursue technical education.