The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Uncertainty over CAP exercise

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 30, 2005

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Uncertainty over CAP exercise

J.Ajith Kumar

Authorities will find it difficult to comply with directives of regulatory bodies

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Despite all-out efforts initiated by the office of the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations for the smooth and time-bound conduct of the Centralised Allotment Process (CAP) for admission to the professional courses for the year 2005, uncertainty seems to loom large over the entire exercise, scheduled to commence on July 1.

Going by the recent developments in the State, it is highly unlikely that the authorities concerned will be able to comply strictly with the directives of the regulatory bodies in the matter of admission to various courses.

The Supreme Court has directed that the first round of the State-level admissions to MBBS and BDS courses should be completed by July 25, failing which legal action would be initiated against the Chief Secretary and the Secretary to Government, Department of Health.

Further, the time schedule prescribed by the regulatory bodies such as the Medical as well as Dental Councils of India should be strictly adhered to, the apex court has said in its judgment dated January 12, 2005. It has also been stipulated that the classes for the first year MBBS and BDS courses should begin on August 1, 2005.

However, the resolve of student organisations to obstruct the CAP at all the three centres where it has been planned to be held, is by far the greatest threat to its time-bound completion. Demanding that the self-financing professional institutions be reined in, various student organisations have decided to obstruct the conduct of the CAP.

The clause of the Medical Council of India (MCI), relating to the annual renewal of permission for self-financing medical colleges to conduct MBBS courses, is another factor that can defeat the objectives of the Entrance Commissionerate. There are six medical colleges and three dental colleges in the self-financing sector in Kerala, yet to receive permission of renewal to admit students this year.

The medical colleges under the managements of the Co-operative Academy of Professional Education at Kochi, the MES at Perinthalmanna, Jubilee Mission, Thrissur, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church , Kolenchery, Pushpagiri Society, Thiruvalla and the CSI, Karakonam, are still to receive permission from the MCI to admit students.

These six colleges account for 300 seats (50 each) under the Government quota.

Among the self-financing dental colleges, those at Poinachi of Kasaragod, Annoor of Muvattupuzha and Pariyaram of Kannur, with a total of 100 seats to be allotted under the Government quota, have not received permission of the Dental Council of India, to effect admission of students this year.

Even after the respective apex councils grant permission, it is for the Government of India to give the final nod in this regard. With as many as 400 seats under the Government quota thus getting blocked, the entire CAP exercise will be affected.

The general strike, proposed to be observed on July 5, is likely to be another impediment in the conduct of the seat allotment process.

Even if it is for a single day, the entire exercise will have to be shifted, which will eventually affect the CAP to follow, for engineering and architecture courses as well.

The immediate threat posed by the student organisations, though in the name of protecting the rights of students will, in all probability, turn out to be detrimental to at least to a section of them.

Consequently, the uncertainty over the entire seat allotment exercise here, can at least indirectly, favour the professional colleges outside Kerala.

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