Assam's engineering colleges to increase seats from this session

Guwahati, Jul 1 (UNI) The Assam government has decided to increase the intake of students into the Assam Engineering College (AEC), Guwahati, and Jorhat Engineering College (JEC) from this academic year.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, in a meeting yesterday, directed the concerned officials of Higher Education department to expedite the process of increasing the number of seats in the two engineering colleges, coupled with increase in faculty members, so that the students, who cleared the higher secondary examinations in science stream in large numbers this year, could be accommodated to the extent possible, a release informed today.

The Chief Minister said the move had been necessitated with the ever increasing number of students passing out every year in the higher secondary examination in science stream, with this year's pass percentage recording an all-time high of almost 80 per cent.

In this age of cut-throat competition, our boys and girls must be given the scope and opportunity to get themselves admitted in the engineering colleges of our State. That has prompted us to raise the number of seats in Assam and Jorhat Engineering Colleges from the current academic session, he added.

The Chief Minister directed the department to start the process from the current academic year. Necessary funds will be provided for filling up the requisite teaching and non-teaching staff, he said.

He also directed the officials of the Higher Education Department to start the spadework to set up another engineering college in the state from the next academic year so that more and more students could be accommodated in technical education.

The meeting was attended, among others, by the Principal Secretary, Higher Education, Commissioner and Secretary, Finance, Commissioner and Secretary to the Chief Minister, Director, Technical Education and Director, Higher Education.

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