Students taking the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2025 on Sunday, May 4, found the Physics paper "unexpectedly difficult," causing many medical seat applicants in Karnataka to reconsider their options.
As a result, demand for engineering degrees is projected to skyrocket, with many students opting for technical studies rather than achieving a rank that guarantees a government position.
Many students who were either unable to get a government seat or could not acquire one at their preferred college last year have spent the past year preparing for NEET-UG 2025. With the prospects looking grim, many students are unlikely to spend another year preparing for NEET-UG 2026.
Medical seat applicants who have been disappointed need not be concerned about a lack of engineering seats. In 2024, 13,653 seats in the government quota remained unallotted, leaving COMEDK (Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka) with 18,726 vacant seats.
"With the All India Council for Technical Education removing the cap on engineering seats, availability has increased at private colleges as well," a senior official from the Department of Technical Education told Deccan Herald.
Many private colleges have allegedly increased enrolment in computer science and artificial intelligence (AI) courses.
"In some cases, the number has gone up by a hundred. Earlier, when colleges sought permission to increase intake by 60 seats, AICTE would give approval for half as many seats, which is not the case anymore,” the official added.
However, officials expressed concern that institutions in the state's rural areas, as well as those in Kalyana, Karnataka, are unlikely to gain from the demand for engineering courses.
Officials at the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) are confident about the prospects of medical seat candidates, even those who fall into reserved categories.
