India, June 6 -- In a major reform aimed at making engineering education more accessible and transparent, the Maharashtra government on Thursday announced the addition of a fourth round to the Centralised Admission Process (CAP) for engineering degree courses, starting from the upcoming academic year.

The move is expected to reduce the pressure on students to opt for costly private or management quota seats due to limited CAP rounds in the past. With this additional round, students will now have a greater opportunity to secure seats through the government's centralised system, which also makes them eligible for scholarship benefits.

Announcing the changes, Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil said on Thursday, "Just...