CHENNAI: The single window counselling for admission of students in engineering courses for 2017-18 provides an opportunity to students from socio-economically weaker sections to have access to various courses offered by engineering institutions all over the State, the government submitted in a counter filed in the Madras High Court on Thursday.
The counter was filed in response to a writ petition from Anna University Self-Financing Engineering Colleges Management Association in Tirunelveli, praying for a direction to the university to permit private engineering colleges in the State to admit students on their own.
In support of the prayer, the association claimed that every year a large number of seats remained vacant. Last year, it was 1.18 lakh and this year, it could be more.
Permission to private institutions to admit students under the government quota on the fees fixed by the Fee Fixation Committee for 2017-18 will go a long way in sustaining the colleges, petitioner said. The counter said the single window system ensures the reservation policies of the State and the Centre for sports, differently-abled, ex-servicemen and communal reservation as well. The State also provides complete fee waiver for first generation graduates to students admitted under the single window counselling.
Counselling under TNEA admission for the academic year 2017 commenced on July 17. Scrapping this system at this stage will create confusion among students who had already applied for the said counselling. The system also ensured transparency and non exploitation, which were repeatedly reiterated by Supreme Court, the counter added and prayed the court to dismiss the writ petition, filed at the eleventh hour. Justice K Ravichandra Baabu directed the Additional Advocate-General to get instructions on the amended prayer and posted the matter for July 26.
Arguments on 85% quota appeal to resume on July 26
Chennai: Arguments on the State’s appeal challenging an order of Justice K Ravichandra Baabu, who on July 14 struck down a GO dated June 22 last which provided 85 per cent reservation for State Board students and the balance 15 per cent for others in admission to undergraduate medical courses for 2017-18, commenced before a division bench, on Thursday. The bench adjourned the matter till July 26, when arguments will continue, in full swing. In its appeal filed on July 17, the State submitted that the single judge ought to have considered that though NEET is common for all students, the question paper was prepared by CBSE.
Terminated law officers can stay till further orders
Chennai: The government pleaders and public prosecutors, whose appointments have been terminated by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, may continue to represent the State until further orders and unless otherwise directed, the Madras HC said on Thursday. Modifying an interim order passed by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on July 5, the first bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar said in case of complaint against any individual law officer, State could disengage that officer and engage a different one from the old panel. This order shall continue till August 16 or until further orders.
Stay on cattle sale ban extended till July 25
Madurai: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has extended the interim stay on implementation of rules banning sale and purchase of cattle for slaughter at animal markets, till July 27. Two writ petitions were filed by S Selvagomathi and Asik Elahi Baba challenging the constitutional validity of Rules (22) b (iii) and 22 (e) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulations of Live Stock Markets) Rule, 2017, which was notified by the Central government on May 23.
No documents from I-T in gutka scam, says CS
Madurai: Though orders have been reserved in the case challenging the extension given to T K Rajendran as DGP, the Chief Secretary filed a counter-affidavit before the High Court Bench in Madurai stating that no documents were received from Income Tax (I-T) department on the involvement of top police officials in ‘gutka scam’. Earlier, Kathiresan, Madurai urban district secretary of All India Trade Union Congress Construction Workers Wing, filed a public interest litigation challenging the extension given to Rajendran as DGP.