There could be as many as 1.2 lakh vacant seats in engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu this year, as lesser students are applying for such courses in the state.There has been a 20% decrease in the number of applicants for the single window counselling in the state, states a report by The Times of India. As compared to the 1.75 lakh applications submitted last year, this year the number has reduced to 1.4 lakh. The number of application forms bought have also gone down from 2.1 lakh in 2014 to 1.88 lakh in 2015. Students now are taking into consideration not only the quality of the courses but also placement opportunities after graduation. “For most students, landing into a good job in the end of the course is the most important thing. Students have realized in the last two or three years that it makes sense to participate in the single-window counselling only if they are likely to get admission in one of the top colleges,“ Moorthy Selvakumaran, an educational consultant, told The Times of India. However, the downward trend was also visible in 2014, when there was a 10% drop in the number of applicants, adds the report.