CHENNAI: It has been just a few months since his father’s death. On Wednesday, smile was back on the face of H Sushanthan, who is orthopaedically challenged. It was not without reason as this was the day that would decide the course of his life.
About to appear for the Counselling for the differently-abled students at the TNEA at Anna University in the city, he had lost his father during his final examinations in Class 12.
“Our father was having health problems prior to Sushanthan’s exams. On the day of the Physics examination, his condition was serious but he insisted that Sushanthan take the exam. When he came back that day, only the rituals were left for him to complete,” said his sister H Preethi.
According to Preethi the whole family will move closer to the college where Sushanthan gets admission, whichever area it might be. “His education was very important for our father. He still needs some assistance and hence all of us will move to a home near the college where he gets admission,” she says.
While for Sushanthan, the priority is to be with his family, for Sunil from Nagercoil it is the other way round.
At the counselling centre with his father, Sunil, afflicted with dwarfism said he would prefer a college outside his home town.
“I wish to live independently. When I stay in a hostel I think it will help me manage myself,” he says.
But for many, getting admitted to an Engineering College, like Sushanthan’s implies a decision that will have a bearing on the whole family. “I will definitely prefer an Anna University College. If my son gets admissions here,our family will shift to Chennai,” says V Nellamma, mother of V Naveen, from Erode.
List of seats to be out on thursday
Chennai: Anna University will release its list of engineering seats available in different colleges under various categories for TNEA, allocated for counselling, on Thursday. Meanwhile, over 200 candidates were admitted into various engineering colleges following the counselling held for differently-abled students in Chennai on Wednesday. Of the total, 25 are visually-challenged, 149 and 40 suffer hearing impairment.
It courses intake down across state
Chennai: Most colleges in the State have reduced the number of seats for IT courses. “The official figures have not come out yet, but from preliminary reports we are seeing several colleges reducing the number of seats for IT courses,” said Rhymend Uthariaraj, secretary of the TN Engineering Admissions. He said, “One of the reasons might be that close to one lakh seats were vacant last year after counselling.”