No it's not a compulsion and in the first year surely if you don't have it, even that is okay. Because in the first year all engineering branches have same subjects which are general like the engineering mechanics, physics, chemistry, maths, electric circuits, programming with C, etc. For these subjects you won't require laptop atleast in the first year. Yes maybe when you progress further into engineering course, having personal laptop is preferred since you can store and access all your data in your personal gadget.

Refer to the site below to know more about EEE -

https://www.careers360.com/courses/electrical-and-electronics-engineering-course

Best wishes. Thank you.

It is not important to get a laptop in 1st year. It is completely your choice as to buy it or not. If you want to learn new technologies in software industry then you can go ahead otherwise no!