Latest news with #ElectricalandElectronicsEngineering
The Hindu
18-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Computer Science, ECE preferred choice during round 1 of engineering college admission counselling in Tamil Nadu
Computer Science and Engineering and Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) seem to be the streams of choice for candidates this year, as 35,125 candidates were given tentative allotment of seats after the first round of counselling for Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions (TNEA) for the academic year 2025-26. Early trends indicated an uptick in demand for the ECE stream when compared to last year. According to R. Ashwin, an education counsellor who has been following the engineering admissions closely, ECE has overtaken IT and AI courses as a preferred choice for candidates this year, as indicated by the first round trends. In the top 10 colleges in the State, almost all seats in core engineering streams – Computer Science and Engineering, ECE, Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE), Mechanical Engineering, and Civil Engineering – have been filled after the first round itself, Mr. Ashwin said. What is interesting is that circuit-related courses like Computer Science and ECE were on demand even in colleges lower down the ranking list. Also, Chennai and Coimbatore remained the destinations of choice for candidates, as top colleges in these cities witnessed a spurt in preference during the first round. While the top constituent colleges in Anna University such as College of Engineering Guindy (CEG) and Madras Institute of Technology (MIT) remained top on the preference list of candidates, the various university colleges of engineering of Anna University found themselves lower down the pecking order. TNEA officials said 32,663 candidates under the general category and 2,462 candidates from the government schools (7.5% reservation) category were given tentative allotments. They will release provisional allotment order for those candidates who have confirmed their tentative allotment by Friday evening. Candidates who did not get their seat of choice and have opted for the upward option while accepting the allotment would have to wait for the residual seats after the first round of admissions get over on July 23. In the vocational stream, 1,416 candidates were given tentative allotments, including 214 from the government schools (7.5% reservation) category.
The Hindu
18-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Computer Science, ECE preferred choice as over 35,000 candidates get tentative allotment after round 1 of TNEA counselling
Computer Science and Engineering and Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) seem to be the streams of choice for candidates this year, as 35,125 candidates were given tentative allotment of seats after the first round of counselling for Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions (TNEA) for the academic year 2025-26. Early trends indicated an uptick in demand for the ECE stream when compared to last year. According to R. Ashwin, an education counsellor who has been following the engineering admissions closely, ECE has overtaken IT and AI courses as a preferred choice for candidates this year, as indicated by the first round trends. In the top 10 colleges in the State, almost all seats in core engineering streams – Computer Science and Engineering, ECE, Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE), Mechanical Engineering, and Civil Engineering – have been filled after the first round itself, Mr. Ashwin said. What is interesting is that circuit-related courses like Computer Science and ECE were on demand even in colleges lower down the ranking list. Also, Chennai and Coimbatore remained the destinations of choice for candidates, as top colleges in these cities witnessed a spurt in preference during the first round. While the top constituent colleges in Anna University such as College of Engineering Guindy (CEG) and Madras Institute of Technology (MIT) remained top on the preference list of candidates, the various university colleges of engineering of Anna University found themselves lower down the pecking order. TNEA officials said 32,663 candidates under the general category and 2,462 candidates from the government schools (7.5% reservation) category were given tentative allotments. They will release provisional allotment order for those candidates who have confirmed their tentative allotment by Friday evening. Candidates who did not get their seat of choice and have opted for the upward option while accepting the allotment would have to wait for the residual seats after the first round of admissions get over on July 23. In the vocational stream, 1,416 candidates were given tentative allotments, including 214 from the government schools (7.5% reservation) category.
New Indian Express
14-07-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
TNEA counselling starts on July 14, demand may rise for core engineering courses
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Engineering Admission (TNEA) counselling for general category students will begin from Monday, as per the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE). If experts are to be believed, courses related to electronics engineering are likely to be the first choice of students this year. Academicians and career counsellors said trends indicate an uptick in demand for Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) and Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) due to slowdown in the IT sector and booming semiconductor industry in the country. 'During career counselling events, enquiries related to ECE courses have increased manifold. Students were interested to know about the career opportunities the course offers,' said career counsellor, Jayprakash Gandhi. Private engineering colleges also witnessed a surge in admissions in ECE courses during management quota admissions. 'Out of the total seats, 65% of the seats are for TNEA counselling and the remaining 35% is filled through management quota. All our ECE seats under management quota are filled this year,' said principal of a private engineering college in Chennai. To cater to the demand, six colleges have also added 1,000 more seats in the stream this year. 'The demand for ECE is more compared to previous years. We have added 120 seats, 60 each in two of our colleges,' said R M Kishore, vice-chairman of RMK group of institutions. He added that significant investments in the semiconductor industry are creating a strong demand for skilled professionals. Colleges have started specialised courses like electronics and communication and electronics engineering (VLSI design and technology) to meet the industry needs. As per DTE, this year a total of 1.72 lakh seats (over 13,000 seats more than last year) will be available in 417 colleges for students to choose from, during counselling. The demand for Artificial Intelligence (AI) still continues as over 3,500 seats in AI and Data Science streams have increased this year. In the first round, out of the three rounds of the counselling session, 39,145 students may participate, and students securing cut-off between 200 and 179 marks will fill their choices. 'Students have realised that due to the rat race to join computer science-related courses, soon the market will be flooded with only these engineers, while there will be a huge scarcity of core engineers,' said K Natarajan, a mechanical engineering faculty in a private college.
The Hindu
29-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Picking an engineering course in Tamil Nadu
Over 2.5 lakh students are expected to take part in the Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions (TNEA) 2025 counselling from July 14. The merit list was released Friday last. Early trends suggest a continued preference for Computer Science-centric courses — though surprises cannot be ruled out. Private engineering colleges report that courses like Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Machine Learning, and Cybersecurity are in high demand, in line with the industrial trend nationwide. In contrast, traditional core branches such as Civil and Mechanical Engineering continue to struggle for patronage, despite recent efforts at reviving interest in these courses. Principals across engineering colleges agree that students mostly prefer Computer Science and allied fields. 'In our institution, Artificial Intelligence and Data Science are the top picks, followed by Computer Science and Engineering [CSE], and Electronics and Communication Engineering [ECE],' said T. Saravanan, principal, New Prince Shri Bhavani College of Engineering and Technology, Chennai. ECE has gained popularity owing to the government's push in the semiconductor sector, while Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) and Mechanical Engineering are regaining traction. However, Civil Engineering continues to evoke low interest, with only 30% of seats filled at his college, he added. Under the TNEA 2024 single-window counselling system for colleges affiliated to Anna University, only 4,451 candidates opted for Civil Engineering-related courses as against 10,772 available seats. 'Civil Engineering is still not preferred. We offer only 30 seats, and just 35% of them are filled under the management quota,' noted K. Palanikumar, principal, Sairam Engineering College in Chennai. 'Interestingly, students opting for Civil Engineering often have parents working in the construction sector. What we have noticed is that there is a disconnect between job opportunities in government departments and public perception.' He added that the fear of lay-offs in information technology companies has slightly slowed the admission to CSE, while the government push for manufacturing has sparked interest in Mechanical Engineering and EEE. Staging a comeback In Coimbatore, the Dhaanish Ahmed Institute of Technology has recorded a surge in interest. 'Cybersecurity is the buzzword in information technology companies such as TCS, Wipro, Infosys, and CTS. After computing, semiconductors are next in demand,' said its principal K.G. Parthiban. He added that Mechanical Engineering and allied branches — such as Robotics, Automation, and Mechatronics — are on the radar again, thanks to the growing demand in the auto and industrial automation sectors. 'There's even an increase in girl students choosing Mechanical Engineering.' At Vivekanandha Educational Institutions, Tiruchengode, girl students mostly opt for Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, CSE, ECE, and IT — in that order, said executive director S. Kuppuswamy. Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology rank fourth, while core engineering courses trail. Despite his personal efforts to advocate for core courses like Civil Engineering, students remain unconvinced. 'We have 30 Civil Engineering seats and fill them through government counselling. We've chosen not to surrender the branch, hoping that the interest in it will revive over time,' he said. A few years ago, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) allowed colleges to surrender seats in less popular disciplines so as to start new courses. Many colleges relinquished nearly 50% of their Civil and Mechanical Engineering seats and then expanded Artificial Intelligence and data-centric courses. While some institutions are attempting to revive core branches, IT-related programmes continue to shape the engineering education in Tamil Nadu, fuelled by immediate job prospects. This is not limited to Tier-2 and Tier-3 engineering colleges. Even the country's premier institution — the Indian Institute of Technology — is no exception. A recent event organised by the Pan-IIT Alumni Leadership Series (PALS) in Chennai discussed ways to improve candidates' choices. Directors of several IITs took part at the event. A recurrent theme was the need to encourage students to choose core engineering programmes. PALS has adopted 50 Tier-2 and Tier-3 engineering colleges to help them improve performance. A model for other students IIT-Madras Director V. Kamakoti acknowledged that in the past decade, 99.9% of the toppers in the Joint Entrance Examination (Advanced) — the qualifying examination for admission to the IITs — opted for CSE. Students did not choose Electrical Engineering. This is a matter of concern against the backdrop of two major occurrences — the COVID-19 pandemic and Operation Sindoor. 'In the first one, a solution came from biological sciences and in the second, from multiple disciplines. It is not just Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence. It was the multidisciplinary approach, much beyond traditional AI,' he pointed out. 'We must reach out to people who studied in these core disciplines and are now doing well for themselves. They could be examples for younger students.' Mr. Kamakoti gave a wide range of suggestions, from improving syllabus to encouraging students to appear for competitive tests to help them evaluate themselves against their peers. He suggested that autonomous colleges fine-tune their syllabus to attract students. Colleges could call on their alumni in core engineering programmes to interact with the aspirants. Institutions could focus on interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary education. Candidates should be encouraged to take up dual-degree programmes. Every institution must encourage students to take 40% of their credit through advanced courses to prepare themselves for the industry, he said. The AICTE and the University Grants Commission have permitted colleges to offer 20% skill-oriented courses. These courses could be taught by industry experts, and students could be assigned credits. Faculty members should encourage students to take the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering to help them understand their self-worth among peers, the IIT-M Director said. 'Self-audit is very important for students.' Instead of focusing only on engineering education, college faculty members could offer students wider choices, encouraging them to go in for even the Civil Services Examination. The country would benefit from tech-savvy engineering graduates who could shape technology-driven policies, he pointed out. IIT-Tirupati Director K.N. Satyanarayana suggested that students be given more time for practicals. Introducing Artificial Intelligence in Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering is the way forward, he said. But there are no teachers for the subject. Lack of engineers He pointed out that India had built only 50% of the infrastructure it needed. It aspires to be the manufacturing hub for semiconductors and electronic chips. Lack of trained engineers resulted in an Indian company Tata advertising for workers in Taiwan to work in its semiconductor industry. While it is true that civil engineers get paid lower than a software engineer or a CSE graduate initially, a level playing field is achieved for a core engineering graduate when the candidate completes 30 years in service, he added.
The Hindu
29-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
What to B.E.
Over 2.5 lakh students are expected to take part in the Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions (TNEA) 2025 counselling from July 14. The merit list was released Friday last. Early trends suggest a continued preference for Computer Science-centric courses — though surprises cannot be ruled out. Private engineering colleges report that courses like Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Machine Learning, and Cybersecurity are in high demand, in line with the industrial trend nationwide. In contrast, traditional core branches such as Civil and Mechanical Engineering continue to struggle for patronage, despite recent efforts at reviving interest in these courses. Principals across engineering colleges agree that students mostly prefer Computer Science and allied fields. 'In our institution, Artificial Intelligence and Data Science are the top picks, followed by Computer Science and Engineering [CSE], and Electronics and Communication Engineering [ECE],' said T. Saravanan, principal, New Prince Shri Bhavani College of Engineering and Technology, Chennai. ECE has gained popularity owing to the government's push in the semiconductor sector, while Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) and Mechanical Engineering are regaining traction. However, Civil Engineering continues to evoke low interest, with only 30% of seats filled at his college, he added. Under the TNEA 2024 single-window counselling system for colleges affiliated to Anna University, only 4,451 candidates opted for Civil Engineering-related courses as against 10,772 available seats. 'Civil Engineering is still not preferred. We offer only 30 seats, and just 35% of them are filled under the management quota,' noted K. Palanikumar, principal, Sairam Engineering College in Chennai. 'Interestingly, students opting for Civil Engineering often have parents working in the construction sector. What we have noticed is that there is a disconnect between job opportunities in government departments and public perception.' He added that the fear of lay-offs in information technology companies has slightly slowed the admission to CSE, while the government push for manufacturing has sparked interest in Mechanical Engineering and EEE. Staging a comeback In Coimbatore, the Dhaanish Ahmed Institute of Technology has recorded a surge in interest. 'Cybersecurity is the buzzword in information technology companies such as TCS, Wipro, Infosys, and CTS. After computing, semiconductors are next in demand,' said its principal K.G. Parthiban. He added that Mechanical Engineering and allied branches — such as Robotics, Automation, and Mechatronics — are on the radar again, thanks to the growing demand in the auto and industrial automation sectors. 'There's even an increase in girl students choosing Mechanical Engineering.' At Vivekanandha Educational Institutions, Tiruchengode, girl students mostly opt for Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, CSE, ECE, and IT — in that order, said executive director S. Kuppuswamy. Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology rank fourth, while core engineering courses trail. Despite his personal efforts to advocate for core courses like Civil Engineering, students remain unconvinced. 'We have 30 Civil Engineering seats and fill them through government counselling. We've chosen not to surrender the branch, hoping that the interest in it will revive over time,' he said. A few years ago, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) allowed colleges to surrender seats in less popular disciplines so as to start new courses. Many colleges relinquished nearly 50% of their Civil and Mechanical Engineering seats and then expanded Artificial Intelligence and data-centric courses. While some institutions are attempting to revive core branches, IT-related programmes continue to shape the engineering education in Tamil Nadu, fuelled by immediate job prospects. This is not limited to Tier-2 and Tier-3 engineering colleges. Even the country's premier institution — the Indian Institute of Technology — is no exception. A recent event organised by the Pan-IIT Alumni Leadership Series (PALS) in Chennai discussed ways to improve candidates' choices. Directors of several IITs took part at the event. A recurrent theme was the need to encourage students to choose core engineering programmes. PALS has adopted 50 Tier-2 and Tier-3 engineering colleges to help them improve performance. A model for other students IIT-Madras Director V. Kamakoti acknowledged that in the past decade, 99.9% of the toppers in the Joint Entrance Examination (Advanced) — the qualifying examination for admission to the IITs — opted for CSE. Students did not choose Electrical Engineering. This is a matter of concern against the backdrop of two major occurrences — the COVID-19 pandemic and Operation Sindoor. 'In the first one, a solution came from biological sciences and in the second, from multiple disciplines. It is not just Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence. It was the multidisciplinary approach, much beyond traditional AI,' he pointed out. 'We must reach out to people who studied in these core disciplines and are now doing well for themselves. They could be examples for younger students.' Mr. Kamakoti gave a wide range of suggestions, from improving syllabus to encouraging students to appear for competitive tests to help them evaluate themselves against their peers. He suggested that autonomous colleges fine-tune their syllabus to attract students. Colleges could call on their alumni in core engineering programmes to interact with the aspirants. Institutions could focus on interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary education. Candidates should be encouraged to take up dual-degree programmes. Every institution must encourage students to take 40% of their credit through advanced courses to prepare themselves for the industry, he said. The AICTE and the University Grants Commission have permitted colleges to offer 20% skill-oriented courses. These courses could be taught by industry experts, and students could be assigned credits. Faculty members should encourage students to take the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering to help them understand their self-worth among peers, the IIT-M Director said. 'Self-audit is very important for students.' Instead of focusing only on engineering education, college faculty members could offer students wider choices, encouraging them to go in for even the Civil Services Examination. The country would benefit from tech-savvy engineering graduates who could shape technology-driven policies, he pointed out. IIT-Tirupati Director K.N. Satyanarayana suggested that students be given more time for practicals. Introducing Artificial Intelligence in Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering is the way forward, he said. But there are no teachers for the subject. Lack of engineers He pointed out that India had built only 50% of the infrastructure it needed. It aspires to be the manufacturing hub for semiconductors and electronic chips. Lack of trained engineers resulted in an Indian company Tata advertising for workers in Taiwan to work in its semiconductor industry. While it is true that civil engineers get paid lower than a software engineer or a CSE graduate initially, a level playing field is achieved for a core engineering graduate when the candidate completes 30 years in service, he added.
