The Hindu : Kerala News : Fears over admission to professional courses allayed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 26, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Fears over admission to professional courses allayed

By J. Ajith Kumar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JUNE 25. Even though the Centralised Allotment Process (CAP) 2004, for admission to the professional courses in the State has been put off indefinitely owing to the prevailing uncertainty over the fee structure in the self-financing colleges, the Commissionerate for Entrance Examinations is all set to initiate the procedures in this regard.

There is absolutely no room for concern and the notification for the CAP will be issued within the shortest time possible, once the fee structure is finalised, said S. Rajoo Krishnan, the Joint Commissioner for Entrance Examinations.

It is mandatory to publish the Information Brochure containing all the details pertaining to the fee structure of the different courses and the availability of seats in various colleges, before the commencement of the CAP. Even this will not be delayed beyond a reasonable time, once the fee structure is finalised, he said.

Without a definiteness on the fee structure in the self-financing professional colleges, it will not be proper to allot students to colleges, basically because the fee is to be collected at the time of the counselling, even in the case of students seeking seats in the self-financing colleges, he told The Hindu here today. This is a reform being introduced this year and any student being allotted a Government seat in either a Government aided college or a self-financing college has to pay the fee at the allotment centre itself, as announced in the Government order issued in April, he added.

Such a decision has been taken to bring seriousness to the CAP since it has been found that students were not properly utilising the options given to them. Even after being allotted a seat, the candidate fails to join the college within the stipulated time, thereby denying another genuine candidate a seat until at least the next round of allotment takes place. Top ranking students may have unlimited options whereas that is not the case of lower ranking ones, Dr. Rajoo Krishnan pointed out.

Till last year, a student had to pay the fee at the college where he/she had been allotted a seat for the first time and while availing of the higher options, to remit the fee in the newly-allotted college and then apply for a refund from the former. In the case of many students, such a repetitive process had to be undergone in several rounds of allotment.

This system will be done away with this year and the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations (CEE) will collect the fee from the candidate at the time of the first allotment and will transfer the amount to the college where the candidate is placed at the time of closing of admission for the year, may be after several subsequent rounds of allotment.

Further, the last date for closing of admissions to the MBBS and BDS courses, as per the regulations of the Medical Council of India and the Dental Council of India, respectively, is September 30, 2004. As per the guidelines of the Central Council of Homoeopathy, the admissions to the BHMS course should be closed on October 31. For admission to the degree courses in Ayurveda and Sidha, the Central Council of Indian Medicine has fixed October 31 as the last date for completing the admission formalities.

All such stipulations can be met even if the CAP is delayed slightly, Dr. Rajoo Krishnan said, seeking to allay the fears expressed in this regard by students aspiring for admission to the professional colleges, as also their parents.

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