Pvt colleges knock HC door again

• Engg classes from Sept 23 for Category B too
• Colleges may declare allotment lists on Sept 18 or 19

It appears that the Ministry of Higher Education has left the issue of engineering admissions under category B to the passage of time and the High Court. Perhaps that is the reason why it has not given its view till date with regard to the note sent by the Higher Education Council which sought direction to go forward on the vexed issue.

Meanwhile, the private engineering colleges which filed a case against the government in the past, have once again knocked the doors of the Court, seeking directions to the Higher Education Council to follow the ruling of the division bench given on August 17 with regard to Category B admissions. They urged the court to give an order that each and every admission shall be made only after the common understanding arrived at after a meeting of Council and college managements (Petitioners). Although the council convened a meeting a few days back, no understanding was reached on avoiding multiplicity of choices of a student.

The council, unable to break the jinx, has written to the government seeking its direction to take up the owners’ quota admissions. The Ministry of Higher Education has sent the note to legal department and according to sources, it has reached Chief Minister’s secretariat.

“We have not received any direction from the state government till date. I don’t know the status even” was the answer from Prof P Jayaprakasha Rao, Chairman of AP Higher Education Council. We will act only after receiving the direction, he made it clear. At the same time, he disclosed that classes would commence from September 23 even for category B students. As the deadline (September 30), set by the Supreme Court appears, there will not be any more waiting, sources said. This means, irrespective of division bench ruling that will come in course of time, the admissions under management quota will go as per the single judge verdict, it is learnt.

Top sources said that a majority of private engineering colleges have been waiting the Council to declare the allotment of seats on September 17. “Once that is over, the colleges too will hang out their allotment lists, most probably on September 18 or 19 itself. Almost all the colleges have in fact competed the admission process long back and it is only a formal announcement that has remained” a top official of Council told The Hans India.