As the 2013 admissions in technical professional colleges closed, it became evident that expansion in the sector took place without checks on reality or scientific projections. A total of 1.45 lakh seats are unfilled as new colleges have applied to start operations.
The slowdown in enrolment has intensified over time. Vacant seats have risen 30% from 1.12 lakh last year.
Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has set up a 20-member committee headed by Institute of Chemical Technology vice-chancellor G D Yadav to list reasons for the vacancies, suggest a solution, state how quality can be enhanced and suggest which courses must be stopped.
Vacancies in electronics and telecommunication have few takers and nearly 100 colleges have vacancies ranging from 30% to 90%.
Among the biggest concerns is the quality of teaching staff and curricula updated to industry requirements. Many colleges rely on visiting faculty and teachers often do not have prerequisite PhDs.
Rangan Banerjee, Forbes Marshall Chair Professor in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay, who mapped engineering education in 2006, realized no agency centrally tracked the number of engineers India was producing.
"Engineering education was ramped up at an unsustainable rate . Quality was not maintained," he said.
For other streams, experts said students had become cautious about quality they want to join. "The slowdown in industry is also to be blamed for drop in enrolment, specially in MBA courses," a college principal said.
Directorate of Technical Education chairman S K Mahajan said the state had to come up with a clear policy. The All-India Council for Technical Education no more approves opening and closing down of colleges after a Supreme Court order.
"Maharashtra must set up a technical university. Most big states have it, but our state's finance department claims there are no funds," said a source.
Programme------- No. of institutes --- Total seat intake---- Vacancy
------------------- 2013 ---- 2012 ----- 2013 ----- 2012 ----- 2013 ----- 2012
Engineering---- 365 -- 363 ------ 1,54,827 ---- 1,48,294 --- 52,400 --- 41603
Mba ------ 411 --- 409 ---- 45,997 --- 45,441 ---- 17,740 --- 12,800
Diploma engg --- 483 --- 441 --- 1,73,802 --- 1,54,436 --- 59,802 --- 51,050
Mca ------------- 146--- 145 --- 13,385---13,350 ---- 9,932 --- 4,080
2nd year mca ------ 145 --- NA - 7,942 --- NA ----- 2,499 --- NA
Bpharm - 153 --- 149 ---- 9,955 ---- 9,712 --- 1,558 --- 972
DPharm --- 196 --- 193 --- 11,136 ---11,899 --- 682 ---1,086
Hmct --- 9 --- NA --- 470--- NA ------143 ----- NA
Total ---- 1,908----1,700---4,17,514-----3,83,132----1,44,756---1,11,591
The slowdown in enrolment has intensified over time. Vacant seats have risen 30% from 1.12 lakh last year.
Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has set up a 20-member committee headed by Institute of Chemical Technology vice-chancellor G D Yadav to list reasons for the vacancies, suggest a solution, state how quality can be enhanced and suggest which courses must be stopped.
Vacancies in electronics and telecommunication have few takers and nearly 100 colleges have vacancies ranging from 30% to 90%.
Among the biggest concerns is the quality of teaching staff and curricula updated to industry requirements. Many colleges rely on visiting faculty and teachers often do not have prerequisite PhDs.
Rangan Banerjee, Forbes Marshall Chair Professor in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay, who mapped engineering education in 2006, realized no agency centrally tracked the number of engineers India was producing.
"Engineering education was ramped up at an unsustainable rate . Quality was not maintained," he said.
For other streams, experts said students had become cautious about quality they want to join. "The slowdown in industry is also to be blamed for drop in enrolment, specially in MBA courses," a college principal said.
Directorate of Technical Education chairman S K Mahajan said the state had to come up with a clear policy. The All-India Council for Technical Education no more approves opening and closing down of colleges after a Supreme Court order.
"Maharashtra must set up a technical university. Most big states have it, but our state's finance department claims there are no funds," said a source.
Programme------- No. of institutes --- Total seat intake---- Vacancy
------------------- 2013 ---- 2012 ----- 2013 ----- 2012 ----- 2013 ----- 2012
Engineering---- 365 -- 363 ------ 1,54,827 ---- 1,48,294 --- 52,400 --- 41603
Mba ------ 411 --- 409 ---- 45,997 --- 45,441 ---- 17,740 --- 12,800
Diploma engg --- 483 --- 441 --- 1,73,802 --- 1,54,436 --- 59,802 --- 51,050
Mca ------------- 146--- 145 --- 13,385---13,350 ---- 9,932 --- 4,080
2nd year mca ------ 145 --- NA - 7,942 --- NA ----- 2,499 --- NA
Bpharm - 153 --- 149 ---- 9,955 ---- 9,712 --- 1,558 --- 972
DPharm --- 196 --- 193 --- 11,136 ---11,899 --- 682 ---1,086
Hmct --- 9 --- NA --- 470--- NA ------143 ----- NA
Total ---- 1,908----1,700---4,17,514-----3,83,132----1,44,756---1,11,591