Only physics and mathematics will be considered as compulsory subjects for engineering degree courses

Updated on: Friday, June 14, 2013

Students who have passed their standard XII with either biology, biotechnology or technical vocational subjects are now eligible to apply for the ongoing centralized admission process (CAP) for first-year engineering degree courses in the state. They can now submit their forms to the designated application receipt centre (ARC) till 5 pm on June 15.

The state director of technical education (DTE) issued a notification on Thursday prescribing key alterations in the eligibility criteria for engineering admissions in the wake of an interim order passed on Wednesday by the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay high court asking the government to adhere to the criteria prescribed by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

"The state government shall ensure that eligible candidates, as per the norms prescribed by the AICTE, are not deprived of the opportunity to tender application forms for securing admission to first-year engineering course," the high court division bench of Justices R M Borde and Sunil P Deshmukh stated in the five-page interim order.

The bench was hearing a writ petition filed by a student, Shantanu Rajendra Mudkhedkar, challenging the DTE's eligibility criteria for the 2013-14 engineering CAP on the grounds that the same was not in consonance with the eligibility norms prescribed by the AICTE, the regulator of technical education in the country. The court has directed the state government and the AICTE to file their affidavits-in-reply before June 18.

Consequent to the interim order, the DTE's eligibility rule numbers 2.1 to 2.5 now stand altered as per the high court directives seeking adherence to the AICTE norms. While rules 2.1 and 2.2 refer to the Maharashtra state, outside Maharashtra state (OMS) and JEE Main (Paper 1) qualified candidates, rule 2.3 is related to foreign nationals, foreign student, PIO, children of Indian workers in the Gulf countries and children of NRIs. Rule 2.4 refers to government of India nominees and rule 2.5 relates to the Jammu and Kashmir migrant candidates.

According to the revised norms, only physics and mathematics will be considered as compulsory subjects while either one from chemistry; biotechnology; biology and technical vocational will make up for the third subject. "Candidates must have scored minimum 45% marks in the three subjects taken together; 40% in case of the reserved category or the physically handicapped students," the notification added.

"There is no change in the engineering CAP schedule, as declared by way of the notifications issued on June 4 and 10," the DTE clarified on Thursday.

Petitioner Shantanu Mudkhedkar was desirous of seeking admission to first-year engineering course in the state. He secured 54.17 aggregate percentage in the standard XII exam conducted by Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education and 87 marks in the common entrance test conducted by the state government.

In his petition, filed through lawyer Ajay S Deshpande, Mudkhedkar pointed out that in August 2012 the AICTE had modified the norms for engineering admission by making physics and mathematics as compulsory subject and adding technical vocational as an optional subject along with biology, biotechnology and chemistry.

The petitioner contended that the DTE's eligibility criteria for 2013-14 engineering CAP were not in consonance with the modified AICTE norms and that the norms prescribed by the AICTE has to take a precedence over the DTE rules.

Assistant government pleader (AGP) N B Patil, appearing for the state, brought to the court's notice that the DTE had forwarded a proposal on June 7 to the state government recommending modification in the rules prescribing eligibility criteria. However, recommendations made by the DTE are restricted for securing admission to institute level seats, the AGP submitted.

The bench has ruled, "In the facts and circumstances of this case, by way of interim order, the respondents are required to be directed to accept online application forms of the eligible candidates as per the eligibility criteria prescribed by the AICTE." The matter is slated for its next hearing on June 18.

Only physics and mathematics will be considered as compulsory subjects for engineering degree courses

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