SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir had 22,310 students enrolled in engineering courses in 2023-24, while the Centre has no year-wise data on how many engineering graduates secured placements after completing their degrees, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.
According to data from the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), engineering enrolment in JK stood at 21,762 in 2019-20 and rose to 26,656 in 2020-21 before declining to 22,727 in 2021-22 and 21,980 in 2022-23. It marginally increased to 22,310 in 2023-24.
The Union Ministry of Education, responding to a question on placements for engineering graduates, did not provide State-wise figures for engineering graduates securing employment after graduation. Instead, it cited Periodic Labour Force Survey data showing that the Worker Population Ratio for graduates nationally increased from 50.6 per cent in 2019-20 to 57.5 per cent in 2023-24.
The ministry said the latest available AISHE data covered engineering enrolment up to 2023-24.
At the national level, engineering enrolment increased from 52.21 lakh students in 2019-20 to 62.17 lakh in 2023-24.
The Centre said several measures had been taken to improve the employability of engineering and other technical graduates, including industry-aligned curricula, mandatory internships and an AICTE Placement Portal connecting employers with students, particularly those from rural, tribal and aspirational districts.
The National Credit Framework has also enabled higher educational institutions to integrate skill-based education, internships and projects into academic programmes, with provision for students to earn up to 50 per cent of the required credits through skill-based courses.
The Ministry said the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) had more than five lakh apprentices enrolled and completing training during 2025-26. A recent third-party evaluation of NATS found that 74 per cent of trainees entered employment after their apprenticeship.
The government also said more than six lakh learners had enrolled on SWAYAM Plus, which offers over 500 employability-focused courses developed with more than 80 industry partners across sectors including information technology, artificial intelligence, semiconductor manufacturing, banking, financial services and insurance, healthcare and advanced manufacturing.
Under the Union Budget 2026-27, the government has announced five university townships near major industrial and logistics corridors, besides one girls’ hostel in every district, aimed at encouraging enrolment in STEM courses.
The National Career Service portal is also being used as a digital platform for job search and matching, career counselling, job fairs and information on government and private-sector employment opportunities.
