PUNE: Students wanting to change their branch of engineering after their diplomas when they seek direct admission to the second-year degree course can do so from the 2022-23 academic year.
The state directorate of technical education (DTE) has allowed the change to promote inter-disciplinary education. The All-India Institute of Technical Education has approved the change in the admission guidelines.
A student studying information technology during his or her diploma can get admission to any of the engineering branches such as mechanical, electrical, and civil or others.
Students who pass the three-year diploma get direct admission to second-year admission engineering courses.
Director of DTE Abhay Wagh said, “The New Education Policy is all for interdisciplinary education. Until now, if a student wanted to change branches after diploma at the time of a lateral entry for a bachelor in engineering course it was not possible. Hence, we wrote to AICTE to allow this change in branch to students, and it was approved.”
Till 2018, 20% of seats in second-year engineering were reserved for lateral entries. It was brought down to 10% in 2019. Apart from post-SSC diploma students, a few BSc graduates too, seek lateral entry to engineering courses.
Diploma student Dhruv Kadam said there has been a long-pending demand from students and polytechnic institutes in Maharashtra to the education department to allow cross branch admissions. “It will be a good opportunity for diploma students with the amendment in rules.”
