Amidst NEET controversy, engineering counselling to begin on June 23
CHENNAI: Amidst controversies over medical admissions, the higher education department has planned to start counselling for engineering courses from June 23.
While counselling for seats under special quota is likely to take place on June 23-24, the much awaited one for general category is scheduled to kick-start by July 1. Usually, engineering counselling begins only a day after medical counselling gets over since many students migrate to medical courses afterwards. But this year, there is no clarity on medical counselling schedule due to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) controversy. The Madras High Court had recently stayed the declaration of the NEET results by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
Irrespective of NEET results, the State higher education department has planned to go ahead with its original schedule for filling seats in engineering colleges under Anna University as the Supreme Court has mandated concerned authorities to wind up the process before August 15 every year. Speaking to Express, higher education secretary Sunil Paliwal said, “We haven’t received any instructions regarding medical counselling, so engineering counselling for general category students would begin on July 1.”
Online registrations for Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions (TNEA) 2017 based on Class XII scores which began on May 1 was closed on May 31 (Wednesday). According to TNEA officials, nearly 1.25 lakh candidates have registered this year. Registered candidates can submit their application forms before June 3.
Far from the days when the varsity was forced to print additional application forms since all the two lakh copies printed ahead were sold out in 2012-13, this year the numbers have fallen sharply. It is expected to go down further once the repetition errors are corrected. “Though more students were expected to register for engineering counselling due to NEET controversy, lesser registrations were clear indications that the craze and demand towards engineering courses is on the decline,” said a government arts and science college principal from Chennai.
Drop in campus placements is said to be a major reason for the decline in these numbers. The principal added that on the other hand the demand for BCom and other science courses was on the rise and hardly few seats are vacant in leading colleges.