Ahmedabad: Govt diploma engineering colleges in Gujarat have recorded near-full admissions, while self-financed institutions continue to grapple with a massive number of vacant seats, underscoring students’ growing preference for govt colleges.According to the latest admission figures, 2,929 of the 3,193 seats in govt diploma engineering colleges were filled, translating into an occupancy rate of over 91%. The intake includes 1,134 seats under the 10% category, 2,002 seats carried forward from the previous year and 57 seats under the Tuition Waiver Fee (TWF) scheme.In sharp contrast, self-financed diploma engineering colleges have managed to fill only 9,547 seats out of a total intake of 45,829. The available seats comprise 6,771 under the 10% category, 38,782 vacant seats from the previous year and 276 TWF seats. As a result, more than 36,000 seats remain vacant.A similar pattern has emerged in diploma pharmacy admissions. All 89 seats in six govt and grant-in-aid pharmacy colleges have been filled. However, self-financed pharmacy colleges have secured admissions for only 111 students against an intake of 3,039 seats, leaving the overwhelming majority of seats vacant.Meanwhile, the admission committee has reiterated the eligibility criteria prescribed by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for admission from diploma to degree engineering programmes. General category students must secure at least 45% marks in the qualifying examination, while candidates from reserved categories require a minimum of 40%.The committee stated that admission of those students who fail to meet the prescribed eligibility criteria by July 30 will be cancelled, even if they were allotted seats in the first round. In such cases, the token tuition fee deposited by the students will be refunded.
