Odisha private engineering colleges seek quota hike for students of other states

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Private Engineering College Association (OPECA) has once again raked up the issue of large vacancies dogging several colleges in the State at the policy planning body meeting of technical education held on Monday and urged the State government to opt out of JEE (Main) and increase the quota for other-State students.

“At the review meeting, we have urged the government not to participate in JEE (main) in 2018 as the vacancies have increased considerably in the last 4 years,” said OPECA general secretary, Binod Dash.

Dash further informed that at the policy planning body meeting, the association also requested government for not holding entrance for lateral entry into diploma courses and increase the quota for outside students to 40 percent from existing 15 percent.

“As many as 14,296 students had taken admissions last year against the total intake capacity of 50,000 in Odisha. Hence, the government should increase the quota for outside students which is almost close to 50 percent in several universities in the country,” Dash added.

OPECA officials maintain that vacancies in B-Tech course have assumed alarming proportions in the last eight years. Moreover, the vacancies shot up to 75 percent from 50 percent of the total intake after Odisha joined the JEE (Main) four years back.