Diploma students can now exit courses from 2nd year to pursue UG

Hyderabad: Students of diploma courses in Telangana will now be allowed to exit from the second year of the coursework and earn themselves a certificate in engineering. With this, they can pursue conventional undergraduate courses such as BA, BSC and B.Com, starting this academic year.

The State Board of Technical Education and Training (SBTET) has recently accorded approval to introduce multiple entries and exit options in diploma courses from the 2022-23 academic year. The move comes following regulations released by the All India Council for Technical Education for multiple entries and exit options in technical education.

The Board offers three-year diploma courses in both engineering and non-engineering areas, but the new rule will be applicable only to students pursuing engineering programmes.

Students will be awarded diplomas on securing 130 credits out of 150. To earn a certificate in engineering, students, who drop out of their second-year diploma, have to secure requisite credits i.e., 90. Such certificates in engineering issued by the SBTET will be equivalent to the Intermediate certificate of the Board of Intermediate Education, enabling them to pursue conventional degree courses.

In another major decision, the new rule has a retrospective effect. Students, who earlier dropped out of diploma courses after the second year, can get the certificate if they have the required credits i.e., 90.
Candidates, who receive the engineering certificates, can enroll in the degree courses through the Degree Online Services, Telangana (DOST) from this academic year itself. The registration for the first phase of DOST admissions has begun on the website (dost.cgg.gov.in). The last date for registering and exercising web options is July 30. The first phase of seat allotment will be released on August 6.

Apart from granting eligibility to enroll for conventional UG courses, there are plans to enable students with a certificate in engineering to pursue B.Tech and BE courses from the first year. This will be introduced upon receiving necessary regulations from the apex technical body.
Currently, students, who clear the three-year diploma courses and qualify in the Telangana State Engineering Common Entrance Test (TS ECET), get lateral entry into second-year engineering and pharmacy courses offered by professional colleges in the State.