Engg counselling schedule cleared

• Convener quota from Aug 19
• APNGOs stir casts doubts S Officials hint at cancellation if situation warrants
• Unamended GO on prioritisation stays

Capping weeks of delay, the State government has at last announced the schedule for counselling for admission into first year B Tech courses for the academic year 2013-14 amidst doubts of its commencement as the agitation against the division of the state has reached a crescendo in Seemandhra region.

The CET committee, which discussed the matter briefly on Monday morning, later closeted with the Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Higher Education Damodara Rajanarasimha and discussed the issues related to the counselling- not just engineering but others including ICET, PGECET etc. The Minister while asking the Higher Education Council to go ahead with the engineering counselling in accordance with the direction of the High Court has reportedly advised them to make arrangements to commence counselling for other courses as well.

According to the details announced by the Higher Education Council, the Engineering counselling would commence from August 19. Certificate verification will be done up to August 30. EAMCET rankers can register their options from August 22 to September 1 and they can change the options from September 2 to 4. Allotment of seats would be done on September 5. The classes would begin from September 11. This means, the classes would commence exactly six days after the completion of first round of counselling i.e. at the end of counselling of convener quota seats.

According to EAMCET rules 70% of seats should be filled up through convener quota and the remaining will be from management quota, that too on merit basis. A total of 60 helpline centres have been set up across the state to help for certificate verification and registering of options. But how far these centres in Seemandhra region could function smoothly during counselling process is doubtful due to the tensions and social agitations. “We will review the situation on August 17 and if there is no peaceful atmosphere and non-availability of government staff, we would cancel the counselling in the entire state” Raghunath, Chief Counselling Officer told The Hans India.

The Council made it clear that they cannot continue the process with ad hoc hired staff as the web counselling was a technical matter to deal with.

Owners’ quota to start simultaneously
The process for filling up of 30% seats under Category B ie management quota would also start simultaneously as it requires no special notification. The private engineering colleges should have to issue a separate notification of their college in any two important news dailies calling for applications. They have to fill up their quota of seats strictly in order of merit and submit the list to the Higher Education Council, which, after scrutiny, shall have to ratify it. The High Court has, a few days back, given broad guidelines for the colleges to follow. But a case is still pending before the two-judge bench, which challenged the GOs 66 and 67, which were issued to make the filling of management quota seats online.

JEE rankers to get priority
The delay in conducting counselling has another effect. The prioritisation of rankers was not altered as the government has failed to bring about an amended version to the existing GO- which prioritised AIEEE (now JEE Mains) rankers –irrespective of State- ahead of Eamcet rankers in category B seats. The GO stated that NRIs should be given first preference, followed by JEE rankers. Eamcet rankers come next followed by Intermediate pass outs (with a minimum percentage of 45%). A file to allot 10% of seats to JEE rankers has been pending with the Chief Minister. Now that the schedule is released, nothing can be done for this year and the existing norm of priority to NRIs, JEE rankers would continue, according to officials.