Testing times: HPCET on May 13

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 22

Himachal Pradesh Technical University (HPTU) has decided to hold HP Combined Entrance Test on May 13.

The test will be in addition to the JEE common entrance test being conducted at the all-India level to fill 50 per cent seats. The applicants will have to pay a registration processing fee (non-refundable) of Rs 1,550 for appearing in the HPCET while the fee for SC/ST/BPL is Rs 1,400.

The students, appearing in more than one test, will have to pay double the fee. This is for the last time the HPTU will hold a separate test as the Union Government has decided to hold a single entrance test from 2018 and private engineering colleges will face the dearth of candidates.

Himachal is one of the states which is filling engineering seats through JEE and took the step to hold a separate test three years ago to enable private engineering colleges to fill the seats. But in spite of this, out of over 9,560 seats in 37 colleges including four government engineering colleges, about 55 per cent seats remained vacant last year. The government had announced that private technical education institutions, not conforming to norms, could be closed down but nothing had been done in this regard.

Out of 5,630 engineering seats in 17 colleges run by private universities, only 2,515 seats could be filled through direct admission in the first semester while 462 seats were filled by lateral entry and 31 by migration. The situation was similar during 2015 when only 2,444 out of 5,960 seats were filled.

Similarly, out of 3,930 seats in 20 engineering colleges, only 1,463 seats were filled while 406 seats were filled through lateral entry, which worked out at 37 per cent.

There are few takers for engineering courses as job prospects are bleak and pursuing four-years engineering courses with the high fee structure of private institutions is not affordable and as such students are drifting to other courses.

While the fee for B.Tech in government engineering college was Rs 30,000 per annum to be paid in two installments, the fee of private colleges ranged between Rs 45,000 to Rs 57000, which implied that the fee for the course ranged between Rs 1.80 lakh and 2.80 lakh besides hostel and mess charges and other expenses.

The HPTU has reduced the B.Tech seats in engineering colleges but even after slashing over 2,000 seats, the situation regarding vacant seats has not improved.