Engineering colleges in Goa continue to witness poor admissions, with nearly 475 seats remaining vacant after the first round of counselling, raising concerns over declining interest in engineering education.
Officials from the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) expect the number of vacant seats to increase further once admissions under NEET begin, as many students are likely to opt for medical and allied health science courses instead of engineering.
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According to DTE officials, the shift in student preferences is being driven by better employment opportunities in fields such as medicine, pharmacy, physiotherapy, and Ayurveda. They also cited a decline in the number of Class XII students opting for mathematics, along with the growing popularity of private universities offering specialised programmes, as key reasons for the drop in engineering admissions.
To boost enrolment, the state has relaxed the mandatory JEE-Main requirement for engineering admissions for the third consecutive year. However, officials believe the move will result in only a modest increase of 50 to 100 admissions.
They noted that the challenge extends beyond admission criteria, attributing the persistent decline primarily to changing career aspirations among students, who are increasingly choosing professional courses perceived to offer stronger job prospects and better long-term career opportunities.
