Central Admission Process for diploma courses to have four rounds from AY2025-26

Students will now be able to apply till the fourth round to get a college of their preference. If they get a college of their preference in the first round itself, it is mandatory for them to take admission there

The Central Admission Process (CAP) for Diploma in Technical Education offered by the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) will have four rounds instead of three from the academic year 2025-26. Effectively, the CAP for diploma courses such as engineering, hotel management, catering technology, surface coating technology, architecture and pharmacy will have four rounds instead of three from the academic year 2025-26. This will not only give students another opportunity, it will also help reduce greatly the number of vacancies in the admission process. Besides, it will curb the arbitrariness in the management quota of institutions.

Effectively, the CAP for diploma courses such as engineering, hotel management, catering technology, surface coating technology, architecture and pharmacy will have four rounds instead of three from the academic year 2025-26. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Students will now be able to apply till the fourth round to get a college of their preference. If they get a college of their preference in the first round itself, it is mandatory for them to take admission there. As per the revised rule declared by the higher and technical education department, it is mandatory for students to take admission if they get it in the first three ranks as per their preference in the second round and in the first six ranks as per their preference in the third round. Students will be out of the entire admission process and will have to lose admission if they do not take admission in the aforementioned cases.

This rule will remain applicable for the entire process. Similarly, the admission process for seats under the institutional quota and those remaining vacant after all the admission rounds will have to be carried out in online mode only wherein institutions will have to publish the list of eligible candidates, merit list and admission schedule on their websites.

Earlier, many diploma courses would have vacant seats after three admission rounds following which admission was also allowed at the institution level. However, the main disadvantage was at the respective institution where students would not get the benefit of the scholarship provided by the state government even after admission. It was this disadvantage that prompted the demand from students and parents for another admission round. Finally considering the students’ interests, one more admission round has been added due to which many students will get one more opportunity for admission not to mention the benefit of the scholarship as well.

Furthermore, earlier when students did not get admission during the three rounds of the CAP, they would have to take admission from the management quota at the earliest. With the introduction of a fourth round, students do not have to take admission from the management quota, thus curbing the arbitrariness in the management quota of institutions.