RGPV mulls guidelines for biannual engineering admissions:State plans July and January intake to fill vacant seats

In a major reform aimed at tackling vacant seats in engineering colleges, the Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya (RGPV) is preparing guidelines to implement a biannual admission system. The Technical Education Department of Madhya Pradesh has approved the proposal, stating that it will ensure timely admissions and help fill all available seats. Under the new system, one academic session will begin in July, while the second will begin in January. Centralized counseling in July, vacant seats to be filled in January According to the proposal, centralized counseling will be conducted in July to fill 100% of available seats in engineering colleges. Any seats remaining vacant after this round will be filled during the January session. Officials believe this system will eliminate the current problem of delayed admissions, which often extend up to October–November. At present, disputes over vacant seats sometimes reach courts, further delaying the admission process. Experts raise concerns over academic flow and placements While the initiative aims to streamline admissions, education experts have raised concerns regarding its impact on academic structure and placements. Students admitted in the January session are expected to graduate in January–February, whereas most companies finalize hiring for students graduating by December. This mismatch may require institutions to organize separate placement drives for January batch students. Structured academic calendar expected Prof. S.C. Chaube, Acting Vice-Chancellor of RGPV, said the new system will help implement the academic calendar more effectively. “Currently, admissions continue until September or October. With this new structure, the academic calendar will be followed more systematically. Two batches will run simultaneously, but there will be no additional burden on infrastructure. Placement schedules will also be adjusted by companies,” he said. Concerns over course structure and lateral entry Experts have also pointed out academic challenges in the new system. Former Registrar of Barkatullah University, Dr. H.S. Tripathi, said engineering subjects follow a sequential structure where basic concepts are taught in early semesters and advanced topics later. “If students are made to study advanced subjects before foundational ones, it could affect their understanding, as many subjects are interlinked,” he said. He also noted that the system may impact lateral entry admissions, where diploma holders are directly admitted into the second year (third semester). With two admission cycles, the number of available seats for such students may reduce. Proposal: January batch may start from second semester To avoid additional infrastructure requirements and prevent increased examination burden, a proposal under consideration suggests that students admitted in January may begin directly from the second semester. They would later study the first semester alongside July batch students, followed by a structured alternating sequence: This model is being explored to maintain academic balance without adding pressure on the system. Objective: Smooth admissions without expanding infrastructure The proposed guidelines aim to ensure that the biannual admission system can be implemented without requiring additional infrastructure or significantly increasing workload for universities.