COVID-19 impact: Engineering admissions will be easier this year; PCM marks cutoff likely to be lowered

Pune: At a time when the COVID-19 cases count is increasing, several educational institutes are staring at delayed admissions and vacant seats, but if the state government has its way, it will soon lower the Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics (PCM) subject cut-off marks which will enable more students to take admissions and lesser vacant seats at engineering and other technical education institutes.

Science students prefer taking admission to engineering, architecture and pharmacy courses after clearing their class 12 examinations. In the last couple of years, the number of institutes offering these courses has increased and hence the number of vacant seats has also increased. This year due to the coronavirus outbreak the Common Entrance Test (CET) has also been postponed till now. In all likelihood, parents will not prefer to send their children away from their hometown for pursuing education.

Higher and Technical Education Minister Uday Samant said, "We are considering lowering the cut-off required for admission to technical courses. This decision will benefit the students of our state who would then be able to pursue their higher education in colleges situated in the state itself."

If the government relaxes the cut off marks in PCM subjects, then the admissions to engineering institutes will definitely increase and hence the number of vacant seats will reduce. But will these students be qualified enough to successfully complete the four years education of engineering is the question that needs to be pondered upon. Education experts recalled that earlier when Rajesh Tope was state education minister, he had lowered the cutoff for PCM and PCB group subjects, but many students did not even clear the first year examinations.

Dr Shyamkant Deshmukh, Secretary, Progressive Education Society said, "For seeking admission to engineering courses after Class 12, students in the open category have to get minimum 150 marks and students from reserved category have to obtain minimum 135 marks in three that is Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics (PCM) subjects. This condition might be relaxed and the new cut-off for minimum PCM marks would be 135 and 120 respectively for open and reserved category students. The government is seriously thinking on these lines due to the COVID-19 situation and thus admissions to engineering first year would increase this year."