Applications for JEE-Mains dip across India, but increase in Maharashtra

In the past five years alone, total registrations to JEE-Mains have decreased by 15.3%

Registrations to the Joint Entrance Examination-Mains (JEE-Mains), one of the most sought after competitive exams for entry to Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and other premier engineering colleges, ended earlier this week, and once again, applications have reduced from the previous year.

Maharashtra has always been one of the top three states in India to send the most number of engineering hopefuls for JEE-Mains. (HT File Photo)

In the past five years alone, total registrations to JEE-Mains have decreased by 15.3%.

According to figures shared by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), close to 11.48 lakh students have registered for the exam this year, 51,000 less compared to last year, when the total registrations were 11.99 lakh. In 2016 and 2015, 12.07 lakh and 13.04 lakh students registered, respectively. Registrations had increased from 12.82 lakh in 2013 to 13.56 lakh in 2014.

“Students are smart these days and know that a degree alone is of no use if it does not assure a lucrative job thereafter. Courses such as management and law are becoming increasingly popular among youngsters these days, whereas a degree in medicine or engineering seems to have taken a back seat,” said the director of a state-based engineering institute.

However, Maharashtra has always been one of the top three states in India to send most number of engineering hopefuls for JEE-Mains for some time now. This year, too, the number has risen, but it’s a marginal increase owing to the overall dip.

In 2017, the total registrations from the state for JEE-Mains stood at 1.59 lakh, whereas this year, the number has increased only by 4,000. “We have received a total of 1.63 lakh applications from Maharashtra alone this year,” said an official from CBSE.