Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Jul 8: For the second consecutive year, the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) in Goa is preparing to relax the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) criteria for engineering admissions, as over 400 out of 1,500 seats remain vacant after the first round concluded on July 5.

While nearly all seats at the State-run Goa Engineering College in Farmagudi have been filled, several seats lie vacant across private institutions including Padre Conceicao College of Engineering (Verna), Don Bosco College of Engineering (Fatorda), Rayeshwar Institute of Engineering and Information Technology (Shiroda), and Agnel Institute of Technology and Design (Assagao).

In 2024, the government had replaced the JEE with the Goa Common Entrance Test (GCET) after nearly two decades. Yet, with around 500 seats remaining unfilled last year, the DTE had permitted students who hadn’t taken the JEE to apply for vacant seats — 50 of which were eventually filled.

“This year, too, around 400 seats are vacant, and the number might increase once NEET-based admissions begin,” said a senior DTE official. “Many students treat engineering as a backup option. If they get medical seats, they will exit engineering, leading to more vacancies.”

To address this, the DTE has decided to again relax the JEE requirement for the second round of admissions, expected by late July or early August. A proposal will soon be sent to the State government for approval.

“Any student who has passed Class XII science but has not taken JEE can apply in the second round, provided they meet the minimum 45% (or 40% for reserved categories) in PCM, as per AICTE norms,” the official added. “JEE is used only for drawing the merit list. If students meet AICTE’s eligibility, there is no harm in admitting them.”

As seen in previous years, the demand for IT and computer engineering remains high, while branches like mechanical and electrical continue to see poor response.