Nagpur: Maharashtra‘s engineering education landscape presents a paradox as nearly 18% of the first-year seats remain vacant even as core branches such as electrical, mechanical, civil, and chemical engineering see a surge in admissions.

According to state’s common entrance test (CET) cell data, out of 2,02,638 seats across the state, 1,66,740 were filled as of last week, leaving 35,898 unoccupied.

“Students are increasingly opting for established disciplines where employment prospects are clearer and industry demand is higher,” a senior official from the joint director of technical education office in Nagpur said.

The overall admission rate for the academic year stands at 82.19%, a slight dip from last year’s 82.74%. centralized admission process (CAP) accounts for 1,30,408 students, while 36,332 enrolled through ACAP (Against the CAP) and institute-level counselling rounds. Only two transgender students enrolled over the past two years.

Pune continues to be the most popular region, with 82,878 seats and 70,251 admissions this year. Nagpur, Nashik, and Aurangabad also reported higher enrolments. Gender representation is improving as well. In 2024-25, 64.61% of the students were male and 35.38% female; this year, the proportion of male students decreased to 62.70% and female enrolments rose to 37.30%.

However, newer and interdisciplinary courses are struggling to attract students, raising concerns over underutilised infrastructure and academic imbalance. Education experts warn that without better career counselling, scholarships, and industry linkages, many colleges may continue to operate below capacity. “Aligning curriculum with job market trends is crucial to balance enrolments,” the official added.

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has already reduced seats in low-demand branches while expanding opportunities in fields like artificial intelligence and data science.

As Maharashtra’s education planners look ahead, policymakers are urged to enhance guidance programmes, build industry partnerships, and incentivise enrolment in emerging disciplines — all while ensuring equitable access across regions and genders.