The Department of Technical Education and Industrial Training is looking after 11 Engineering Colleges, 30 polytechnics and pharmacy institutions and about 120 industrial training institutes and vocational centres including the ones in the private sector. Every year these technical institutes are training a total of about 2800 engineers, 5300 diploma holders and about 16,800 craftsmen at the certificate level.

The Punjab Technical University, established in December 1996, looks after these institutions. There are 11 degree level Engineering institutions with an annual intake of about 2800 students affiliated to this new university. Out of these five are in the public sector and two in the Government aided sector which are functioning in the State and the remaining are in the private sector. Besides these other colleges offering BBA, BCA, MBA and MCA courses are also affiliated to the Panjab Technical University with a total annual intake of about 800 seats.

At present, 19 degree level programmes are being offered by various engineering colleges under the Punjab Technical University. At diploma level the State of Punjab has 30 institutions including 11 in private sector. In addition to these 8 pharmacy diploma level institutions are also working in the private sector. The total annual intake of 5350 seats in the diploma level institutions. At present, various polytechnics are offering, more than 38-diploma level programmes.

Presently, 120 industrial training institutes including 16 in the private sector are functioning and 17 more are under construction. These institutes are offering certificate courses in 56 trades. Both wings are covered under the World Bank projects having three major components namely the quality improvement, capacity expansion and modernisation.

A Common Entrance Test (CET) is conducted by the competent authority appointed by the Government of Punjab (in 1999 it was Punjab Technical University, Jallandhar) for making admission to B.Tech., B.E., B. Arch/Planning/B Tech (Agril Engg.) etc. programmes in Engineering institutes / colleges / university departments in the State and for seats allocated to Punjab in various Regional Engineering Colleges in India.

The CET consists of questions in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics (both objective and descriptive) for admission to B.Arch./B. Tech (Planning).

Centres for examination: Amritsar, Bathinda, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Chandigarh and Delhi.

Application forms: Forms can be obtained from the institutes on payment of requisite charges. The relevant details are given in the information-cum-admission brochure, which is made available on sale during April at Punjab Technical University, Jallandhar and from engineering colleges / institutes / university departments.

Eligibility:

• 10+2 (science stream) exam or equivalent with English, PCM in the year of admission.
  
• Candidates who have appeared in the qualifying exam are also eligible
  
• Candidates should be physically fit
  
• Minimum marks required in CET - 15% (for SC/ST-10%) in each subject of Paper I and Paper II
  
• Also refer to additional eligibility requirements of each Institute
  
• For Architecture, aptitude test is also held and its relative merit is considered for admission.

• SC-15%
  
• ST-7.5%
  
• BC-5%
  
• Physically handicapped, sports, children of defence personnel, terrorist victims, rural areas, political sufferers, NRIs.

Admission is open to candidates who have passed qualifying exam from Institutions located in Punjab. Seats are also reserved for candidates passing qualifying exam from Institutions located outside Punjab. Allocation of seats, domicile definition and eligibility vary from Institution to Institution.