Courses beyond engineering and medical sciences in India

With continued confusion about entrance exams of the courses most in demand (read MBBS and IIT), there has been great turmoil, emotional disturbance and even distress among students who have studied for years and years to fulfil their dreams. There is a ripple effect due to uncertain NEET results, leading to many students feeling quite helpless about where they stand and whether they should wait, re-appear, or take other courses.

Therefore, it’s crucial to always have a ‘Plan B’ in mind. This approach allows you to make calculated decisions that can lead to a bright future. For instance, if you’re a PCM student and find it challenging to secure a spot in your first-choice engineering college, or if you’re a PCB student still uncertain about getting into a reputed MBBS college, having a backup plan can provide a sense of preparedness and control over your future.

The situation is not as bad as you think. Getting all the information about different alternatives will reduce your stress due to uncertainty, and you can be well prepared to seek the next best option if you do not make it to your first choice.  This exploration needs to be done for alternatives in your chosen field and alternatives based on your second area of interest and aptitude.

The JEE stream is not just for admission to IITs. Forty National Institutes of Technology (NITs) take JEE scores, and so does the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology. The Naval Technical College, which trains you to become a Commissioned Officer in the Indian Navy, also takes candidates through JEE (Advanced). There are many Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) all over the country that offer computer science engineering courses through JEE.

Even the K-CET is not just for engineering seats. It gets you admission to B.Pharm. and the six-year D.Pharm courses across the state based on your PCB or PCM scores in CET. Your scores in PCMB can get you admission to Bachelor of Science (Agriculture or Horticulture, both 4-year professional courses available in many colleges across the state). You can become an animal doctor through a Bachelor of Veterinary Science (B.V.Sc.). Since most of these colleges are government-run, the fees are reasonable. K-CET further gets you admission to B.Sc. (Nursing), a field increasingly offering good opportunities globally for both boys and girls.

Then, there is the IISER Aptitude Test (IAT), which gets you admission in the four-year pure Science courses in seven Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research. Look up iiseradmission.in. The prestigious BITS Pilani, with campuses in Pilani, Goa, Hyderabad, and Dubai, conducts its admission test called BITSAT for a variety of engineering and science courses, including M.Sc (integrated) in Economics, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, General Studies and B.Pharm.

The Central Universities Entrance Test (cuet.nta.nic.in) gives entry to undergraduate courses in several reputed central universities spread across all many states.

Students who desire to get into IIT can also explore the U-CEED entrance exam, which gets admission to many IITs for a 4-year Bachelor of Design (B.Des), less competitive course. IIT Chennai offers a 5-year integrated MA in non-technical courses through HSEE (Humanities & Social Sciences Entrance Exam). IIT Chennai also conducts online degree courses that are available without JEE.