Traditional Engineering Branches Lead Surge in Maharashtra Polytechnic Admissions
Students opting for post-Class 10 diploma engineering courses in Maharashtra have shown a renewed preference for traditional branches, pushing overall polytechnic admissions to their highest level in a decade.
Mechanical, electrical, and civil engineering together recorded 57,154 admissions in the latest diploma admission cycle, an increase of 4,940 admissions compared to the previous year. In contrast, admissions to computer engineering fell by 1,539 to 19,366.
A total of 1,40,939 students applied for diploma engineering courses across the state, including 93,542 boys and 47,397 girls. Out of these applicants, 1,14,573 students secured admissions, comprising 76,266 boys and 38,307 girls. Among those admitted, 6,799 students scored above 90% in Class 10. Across 449 polytechnic institutes in Maharashtra, 1,14,561 of the 1,39,147 available seats were filled, leaving 31,945 seats vacant.
Mechanical engineering emerged as the most sought-after stream, recording 23,047 admissions—an increase of 2,454 over the previous year's figure of 20,593. The branch drew 20,423 male and 2,624 female students. Electrical engineering followed with 17,835 admissions, while civil engineering recorded 16,272 admissions.
While computer engineering experienced a dip, female students outnumbered male students in the stream, with 10,467 girls and 8,899 boys securing seats. Newer technology courses also drew interest, with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning recording 6,815 admissions, Information Technology drawing 4,294, Computer Technology seeing 3,078, and Computer Science and Engineering taking 2,528. In Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, female students also outnumbered males, accounting for 3,508 seats compared to 3,307 boys.
Among the six administrative divisions in the state, the Pune division recorded the highest number of admissions, filling 35,054 of its 42,111 available seats across 129 polytechnics. Nashik division followed with 24,645 admissions across 101 institutes, while Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar recorded 17,629 admissions across 81 institutes. The Mumbai division registered 14,630 admissions across 63 institutes, Nagpur recorded 10,728 admissions in 54 institutes, and Amravati recorded 4,516 admissions in 21 institutes.
Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil attributed the rise in polytechnic admissions to the modernisation of curricula, noting that traditional courses are being updated by integrating industry-relevant skills, modern laboratories, and Centres of Excellence. Dr Pramod Naik, Director of Technical Education, stated that direct employment prospects, stronger industry linkages, and rising demand for skilled technicians have motivated students to choose branches based on post-course career opportunities.
