Polytechnics remain a dream for the needy

Updated on: Wednesday, September 21, 2011

The demand for polytechnic courses may have declined owing to a variety of factors, including the rise in the number of engineering colleges. But many students who recently cleared the supplementary exams for Plus 2 complain that they are being denied opportunities to apply for the considerable number of vacant seats in polytechnics.

Sources say that June 20 was the last date for filing applications in most polytechnic colleges, including the government-run ones. However, the supplementary examination for the students who had not cleared the Plus 2 examination was held only in June and the results were announced after the last date leaving them ineligible to apply for polytechnics.

Options for these students remain limited because polytechnic colleges refuse to accommodate them, says N. Chandrasekharan, former professor of Madras Medical College, who coaches students from underprivileged backgrounds in R. A. Puram. There are at present 383 polytechnics in the State offering diploma courses, post diploma courses and certificate courses on various branches of studies in engineering and technology.

"Many of those who enter polytechnics leave when they get admission through counselling elsewhere. So many seats remain vacant, but rules do not allow lateral entries after the due date," says K.G. Bhaskaran, a mechanical engineering professor with a self-financed polytechnic college. While most of the morning shift seats in colleges such as the Central Polytechnic College, Taramani, have been filled up, the evening shifts largely remain vacant, and over 50 per cent of seats in other colleges offering polytechnic courses are unfilled.

"Many private engineering colleges admit students after the due date but most of them charge about Rs 30,000 to 40,000 a semester, akin to private engineering colleges, and offer no significant placement opportunities. If government polytechnic colleges that charge just about Rs 2,000 a year do not work out, it is better to seek admission in an engineering institution," says S. Manoharan, a student, Central Polytechnic College, Taramani. CPT. However, this can be inconvenient to those like G. Kalaiselvan, an engineering drop-out who prefers polytechnics because 50 per cent of the curriculum is dedicated to practical work unlike the engineering which focuses on theory.

And while government run colleges have registered an increase in the admission of girls, but the ones that offer evening shifts have sparse number of female students. “It is also because many mechanical and electrical companies do not even allow girls in their recruitment procedures,” says Rajani Kumaresan, of Raasee Polytechnic College.

"This system only denies students of their right to avail equal opportunities," says Mr. Chandrasekharan. "Many students are from poor backgrounds and cannot afford the high fees of most engineering colleges. And since plenty of seats are going vacant, there seems nothing wrong in extending the admission date, and conducting extra classes," he says.

Officials in charge of polytechnic admissions, Directorate of Technical Education, however, say the problem is with the compulsory semester system. "Polytechnic courses start by July, so if students join now, they would have missed a lot of classroom teaching, and would not even fulfil the mandatory 80 per cent attendance. So it is better for them to join engineering," says a senior official.

Polytechnics remain a dream for the needy

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