A news article was published in 2018 which assured that there are a lot of chances that PEC shall be converted into IIT very soon.

Firstly, PEC is part of the University of Punjab. If it is converted into IIT, then it has to be turned into an autonomous institute first, which has not started yet. There is still not any confirmation regarding the conversion of PEC into IIT. It is a huge thing and these type of topics generally goes through a lot of controversies. 

If you are taking admission in PEC thinking that you will get a degree from IIT, then you are completely wrong. You will get a degree with a tag of PEC.

It will be better if you stop thinking about the IIT factor. This institute itself a reputed one and provides amazing placements to every one of its students. So, you must be focused on your hard work, career and future career perspectives without thinking about PEC is transformed into IIT.

Yes, there is an option of branch sliding in PEC. You can change your branch after the second semester (i.e., first year). I know someone who upgraded from Metallurgy to IT. The upgrade is not a difficult task. 

Following are a few things that you should keep in mind.

• You can apply for branch change by filling up the Performa available in the Academic section on the mentioned date.
• You need to have an average commitment towards your preparation with no special preparation. Only consistent performance in mid-terms will be enough.
• There has been a change in the rule. Now, instead of two mid-term, there will be only one. So, it will be easy for you to score.

You can definitely go for changing branches in PEC by choosing a branch-like CSE, ECE, or any other of your interest. As for the choice of the branch you should choose the one that interests you.

Based on what I heard about the institute from my friends, here are some of the reasons that make PEC a good choice.

• PEC has a location advantage. It is in the heart of “City Beautiful” with the nearby railway station and bus stand. Chandigarh is one of the best places to live.
• Chandigarh has a bit of a competitive atmosphere for competitive exams like CAT, JEE, GATE, Civil Services, etc.

The placement statistics of PEC in 2020 are below:

Besides academics, there are a lot of extracurricular activities available at the institute in which you can take part. 

Aerospace Engineering from PEC is decent. It is excellent if compared to other private colleges, but it is regretful compared to the IITs. The following are the highlights of the program.

The chances for admission in Aerospace Engineering are bitty. The cut-offs of various branches have been fluctuating over the past few years. So, it’s not possible to predict the exact cut-off which will land you in Aerospace Engineering from PEC. The cut-off is generally around 15-19000. If you belong to any quota then getting admission gets easier. 

If you are inclined to Aerospace Engineering, the program from PEC is worth the ride.

It depends upon your choice. A few highlights of both the institutes are below. You can tick on all those points which are in your favor and declare the winner yourself.

HBTI Kanpur:

• Harcourt Butler Technical University Kanpur is a reputed institute in Uttar Pradesh, apart from IITs, NITs, and IIITs.
• HBTI is a home-state institute and has got a University status.

PEC Chandigarh:

• PEC is one of the top institutes in north India.
• It is in Chandigarh, which is a beautiful and competitive city. The quality of students will be excellent. The city is also well-connected through railways and international airports.
• It also has the Deemed University status.
• The institute has a little student diversity because 50% is reserved for Chandigarh quota.

Here’s a brief comparison of the two institutes.

These are the few points you should consider before choosing your institute.

Both the institutes are tough competitors of each other. They have a brand name in north India. It is difficult to conclude the best one among the two. Both the colleges have decent class strength, highly equipped labs, and placements for the CSE branch. PEC has a slightly higher reputation than NITK. 

But you can decide on your own after looking at the below-mentioned points of both the institutes.

• NIT Kurukshetra has an edge. It has been ranked 40 among top engineering colleges in NIRF 2020. While PEC Chandigarh ranks at 68 position

• The best city among the two is Chandigarh. It has well-known for its beauty and competitiveness. Therefore, PEC wins here.
• The ambiance of PEC Chandigarh and the overall crowd are excellent.
• NITK is one of the better colleges among the other NITs.

The fee structure and the placement statistics of both the colleges are below.

Looking at the above factors, both the colleges are head-to-head. If you work hard in any of these colleges, you will end up living the life of your dreams.

For admission in PEC, you at least need to have 75% in your intermediate exams and cleared the JEE Main cut-off for the institute.

The following table shows the JEE Main Round 1 cut-offs for PEC in 2020: 

*Here, 'other state' is OS, and 'home state' is HS.

Seeing the cut-off rank, you might not get PEC Chandigarh at your mentioned profile.

• With 92.8% in 10+2, you have cleared one basic eligibility for the institute.
• Another eligibility is clearing JEE Mains cut-off for PEC. At the mentioned score of 116 in JEE Main, your rank will be approximately around 55000. This rank cannot get a seat in any of the 6 rounds.

If you are desperate to join this year, then you can search for CSE/ECE branch other institutes, as per your JEE rank. But, if you can have time in your hands, you can give another attempt in JEE Mains.