CSE overpowers AI in merit appeal among students

Chandigarh: The traditional computer science discipline continues to dominate student preferences in Punjab Engineering College (deemed to be university) over newer combinations such as computer science and artificial intelligence (AI). The Joint Seat Allocation Authority’s (JOSAA) round-I seat allocation commenced on June 20. Admissions at PEC are predominantly based on ranks attained in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The closing rank functions as the criterion for admission eligibility. The more the closing rank will be, the less preferred the stream would be.

Computer science over AI For 2024 admissions, the opening rank for computer science engineering (CSE) (artificial intelligence) for home state students is 12,134, a significant drop of 6,438 from 5,696 in 2023. This trend suggests that higher-merit students are less inclined towards the AI course. The opening rank in CSE for home state students in 2024 is 4,310 and the closing rank is also the lowest at 14,677, indicating traditional CSE as most popular among options available and much higher ability to attract meritorious students compared to computer science engineering (artificial intelligence).An academician in the field, YP Verma, stated, “AI is essentially a subset of CSE, which is the foundational branch. These emerging fields like AI and data science are just variations of the same core discipline. When it comes to job employment, those in AI or data science may not be favoured by the employers. The CSE, being the traditional and more established field, is, therefore, preferred by students as a safer option.” “The AI course was started last year only, and the decline in the opening rank is partially due to faculty shortages and possibly because students do not prefer AI courses at PEC.”34.5% decline in CSE merit since 2018 PEC’s CSE merit has declined over the years. Compared to 2018, when PEC began counselling through JOSAA, the merit has decreased by 34.5% for home state students (from a closing rank of 10,908 in 2018). A PEC professor, on condition of anonymity, said, “This indicates a notable decline in PEC’s performance in placements and rankings, leading students to prefer other colleges.” Other courses cut-off For home state students, computer science engineering (artificial intelligence) (four-year B.Tech/B.Tech (hons), which was introduced only last year and has gained popularity. This year the cut-off for home state students is 15,811 as compared to 17,499 in 2023. For these students, the cut-off for CSE (data science) is 19,134, and for electronics and communication engineering is 28,220.The electronics engineering (VLSI design and technology) course is more popular, with a closing rank of 30,755 for home state students, as compared to traditional electrical engineering, which has a closing rank of 38,329. Among the outside state students, CSE is most preferred with the lowest cut of 9,984, followed by CSE (artificial intelligence) with 10,498 closing rank. Amongst both home state and outside state, metallurgical and materials engineering is the least preferred with highest closing ranks of 78,634 and 49,158 cut-off, respectively.