Chennai: As student enrolment continues to decline, 70 private polytechnic colleges in Tamil Nadu have sought permission from the Higher Education Department to shut down from the current academic year.

The Directorate of Technical Education, under the Higher Education Department, oversees 55 government polytechnic colleges and more than 400 private polytechnic colleges in the state.

Interest among students in diploma courses has been declining for the past few years, leading to a sharp fall in admissions.

Of the 22,600 seats available in government polytechnic colleges this academic year, only about 12,000 have been filled. In private polytechnic colleges, just 24,000 of the 1.30 lakh seats have been filled.

As the decline in admissions continued, 70 private polytechnic colleges did not participate in the admission process this year. They have written to the Directorate of Technical Education seeking permission to close their institutions. The Higher Education Department has also sought explanations from the institutions.

Officials said the department had asked the colleges to explain what arrangements they had made for lecturers and non-teaching staff if the institutions were closed, including alternative employment opportunities for them.

The colleges have also been asked to explain how students in other classes, if any, would be accommodated elsewhere.