Chennai: The declining enthusiasm for engineering courses has affected post-graduate courses as well.
The number of applications for the Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test (Tancet) 2017 for post-graduate engineering courses has come down by 35 per cent this year as compared to last year.
Anna University has announced that Tancet 2017 will be conducted on March 25 and 26. It also asked candidates seeking admissions to MBA, MCA, M.E., M.Tech, M.Arch and M.Plan courses to register their applications online until February 20.
* The last date for applications extended up to February 28
“This year around 24,000 students have registered their applications for Tancet exam till Monday. We have extended the last date for registering applications to February 28. So, some more students may register for the exam,” said P. Malliga, secretary, Tancet and director, Entrance Examinations, Anna University.
Last year, more than 37,000 students applied for the Tancet. For post graduate engineering courses (M.E. and M.Tech.) around 10,000 have applied. For MBA course 9,500 candidates registered and MCA course 4,500 registered so far.
In the last five years, the applications for Tancet have reduced from 1.10 lakh in 2012 to 24,000 in 2017.
Career consultant and educationist Jayaprakash A. Gandhi attributed the drop in applications to fewer job opportunities for post-graduate engineering students.
“Students are now realising that M.E. and M.Tech. courses don't have many opportunities. Many companies do not prefer post-graduate engineering students as they feel they are overqualified,” he said.
“Even students who got jobs as lecturers are receiving very less salary. So, students going for M.E. courses have drastically reduced,” he said. He also said the MBA and MCA graduates will find it difficult to get the job unless they study in top colleges.
“Only 50 per cent of MBA graduates are getting placed in campus recruitments,” he added. The university had advanced the entrance exam by two months expecting water scarcity in the city during summer. Some students have complained that it would affect their exam preparations. “The students have to do project work during the final year. So, advancing the exam will not affect them,” a university official said.
