Only 95,253 out of 2.14 lakh students registered for engineering courses confirm admission after three CAP rounds

In the third CAP round alone, 1.19 lakh students submitted their option forms with 98,253 out of them being allotted seats

While engineering admissions in Maharashtra are heading into their decisive phase with the state common entrance test (CET) cell releasing the final merit list for the fourth and last centralised admission process (CAP) round on Monday, nearly half the available seats across the state remain vacant despite record registrations this year.

Officials said that students who secure seats in the final round will have to confirm their admissions between September 2 and 4. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)

This time around, as many as 2.14 lakh students have registered for engineering courses against an intake capacity of 1.83 lakh seats however only 95,253 candidates have confirmed admission after three CAP rounds, with a staggering 88,507 seats still unclaimed, underlining a sharp mismatch between demand and actual course preferences.

In the third CAP round alone, 1.19 lakh students submitted their option forms with 98,253 out of them being allotted seats. Yet, just 30,412 candidates confirmed admission. Officials said that students who secure seats in the final round will have to confirm their admissions between September 2 and 4. Following this, any remaining vacancies will be filled through institute-level spot admissions.

The data also reflects a clear shift in student choices with new-age courses in computer-related and technology-driven domains emerging as frontrunners. For instance, branches such as artificial intelligence (AI) and data science, AI and machine learning, cybersecurity and robotics have seen near-complete occupancy in most institutes. Computer engineering, computer science, and information technology too have reported strong demand, with more than 60% of the seats already filled. By contrast, traditional branches once considered the backbone of engineering education are seeing a lukewarm response. For instance, mechanical engineering had 20,873 seats on offer but only 9,762 have been filled so far, amounting to just 47%. Civil engineering fared slightly better with 7,811 admissions out of 15,211 seats while electrical engineering saw 5,654 students confirm out of 11,879 seats, translating to barely 39%.

These figures mirror the evolving job market, where students are increasingly seeing their future in cutting-edge fields such as data science, AI, and cybersecurity. Conventional disciplines, while still essential, appear less attractive to a generation seeking assured employability in rapidly expanding technology sectors.

With the final CAP round now underway, all eyes are on how far the numbers will climb. For thousands of students still waiting, this round represents the last opportunity under the centralised system before the process shifts to institute-level admissions.