January 20, 2025
By Nandini Tyagi
Jan 20, 2025
AICTE data reveals that nearly 64% of MTech seats in India’s engineering colleges remain vacant despite a 33% reduction in postgraduate seats since 2017-18
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MTech enrollment dropped to a seven-year low of 45,000 students over the last two academic years, highlighting the growing preference for BTech programmes
Photo - Freepik
Experts attribute the declining interest in MTech to disconnect between the curriculum and industry requirements and no significant salary benefits compared to BTech graduates
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BTech programmes, in contrast, have experienced a higher enrollment rising from 10.36 lakh in 2022-23 to 11.21 lakh in 2023-24 and vacancy rates dropping to 17%
Photo - Freepik
AICTE officials state that students see minimal career growth or financial benefits in pursuing MTech, with teaching being the primary motivation for most applicants
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With PhD programmes no longer requiring an MTech and management degrees, students are opting for alternative postgraduate pathways
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Industry reliance on undergraduate engineers has risen as companies find sufficient skills among BTech graduates, making higher salaries for MTech holders less justifiable
Photo - Freepik