V. Jayanth and

K. Ramachandran

CHENNAI : The passing of the Constitution Amendment Bill providing for reservation of seats for socially and educationally backward classes in unaided professional colleges means little to Tamil Nadu, which has enjoyed this provision for long.

The more burning issue agitating the minds of parents and students relates to the mode of admission to the professional colleges. It is for the State Government to take an early decision on this issue and announce whether the annual Tamil Nadu Professional College Entrance Examination (TNPCEE) will be held in April 2006.

In Tamil Nadu, admissions in the past eight years were made through the conduct of a professional courses entrance examination, followed by a common ranking system and a single window mode of admission to allot colleges/seats to the students based on the common rank list.

The Supreme Court has, on different occasions, passed orders highlighting the autonomy of the unaided institutions in the matter of admissions and administration. But, through a combination of consensus and executive orders, the State Government has provided for reservation at least in the common pool or "Government quota seats" in unaided colleges.

Till last year, non-minority unaided professional colleges surrendered 50 per cent of their seats and the minority unaided colleges 30 per cent, to the Government quota.

Parents and even academics wonder whether time is running out for professional admissions for 2006. Last year, the State Government expressed its intention to scrap the TNPCEE on the ground that urban students, with the benefit of access to coaching centres, were able to corner more seats, while rural students were being left behind.

However, courts took the view that the TNPCEE is a necessity considering that both the AICTE and the Medical Council of India rules insist on a common entrance test for professional admissions, in any State, which has more than one examining Board at the higher secondary level. In Tamil Nadu, students are from both the State as well as the Central Boards.

Special Leave Petition

The Supreme Court in the Special Leave Petition dealt with the question of a Common Entrance Test in detail and noted: "If the same candidate is required to appear in several tests, he would be subjected to unnecessary and avoidable expenditure and inconvenience. There is nothing wrong in an entrance test being held for one group of institutions imparting same or similar education. Such institutions situated in one or in more than one State may join together and hold a common entrance test, or the State may itself or through an agency arrange for holding of such a test... Such an agency conducting CET for short must be one enjoying utmost credibility and expertise in the matter. The CET is necessary... for saving the student community from harassment and exploitation."

According to academic circles, the AICTE has already asked the Tamil Nadu Government the dates for the TNCPEE. The Government's policy decision is awaited. Academics note that the AICTE or the Medical Council of India rules have not been amended and hence, the State has to necessarily conduct a CET.

"It is high time that the State and Central governments came out with a clear cut admission policy for professional courses for 2006. As per the latest Supreme Court order, the governments should clearly state how admissions are to be done for the next academic year at least six months in advance. The deadline is nearing," says Salem based analyst Jayaprakash Gandhi.

From last year's analysis it was clear that without an entrance test, it would be difficult to allocate ranks to students. For example, last year 254 students got a cut off score of 199.75 in the three subjects (Math, Physics and Chemistry).

Another anxiety and concern among the parents and students centres on the new enhanced syllabus for class XII students from this year. The pressure on students has doubled: the new syllabus and the continuing uncertainty about the entrance test. The earlier the announcement on CET and TNPCEE comes the better for them, as the dates are also critical, with the other national CET dates already announced.

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