Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

A blessing

The editorial "In reverse gear" (Nov. 16) has not taken the ground realities into account. Rural students lag far behind their urban counterparts across the country. The Anandakrishnan committee report, on the basis of which the Tamil Nadu Government has decided to scrap the common entrance test to professional colleges, has felt the pulse of the people. And vox populi vox dei — the voice of the people is the voice of god.

S.R. Badrinarayanan,
Chennai

The decision to scrap the CET is a blessing for rural students who score high marks in the plus-two examination but do not measure up to the required level in the entrance test. It will end the menace of coaching centres, which fleece students.

Since the CET is based on the plus two syllabus, it is only a duplication of school final examinations. The plus two marks might as well be taken as the basis of admission to professional courses.

S. Janakiraman,
Coimbatore

How can the CET ensure a uniform basis for judging the competing students when their syllabus is not uniform? The CET accounts for only one-third of the total score on the basis of which students are admitted to professional colleges. The major determinant, therefore, is the marks scored in the examinations that are conducted on the basis of different syllabi.

While the supporters and those opposed to the CET are raising a hue and cry over its desirability no one seems to talk of the need for a common syllabus.

S. Raja Mohamed Kamil,
Vaniyamabadi, T.N.

The argument that the Government should take steps to improve the rural students' performance in the CET does not hold good. Instead, why not all students (regardless of their education stream) take the examination conducted by the State Board in the final year of their school?

S. Subahar,
Akashi, Japan

The abolition of the CET is not driving in reverse gear; it is a move forward, particularly for rural students. The committee deserves to be hailed for the simple reason that it has paved the way for equal educational opportunities.

J.R. Pazhaniswami,
Tiruchi

Entrance tests are meant to filter candidates from among many applicants. But in Tamil Nadu, many seats go begging in many professional institutions, especially engineering colleges. Available seats are more than the number of students who apply. In such circumstances, an entrance test will serve no purpose. The plus two final examination marks are enough to determine admissions.

K. Stephen Daniel,
Chennai

The Government's move to abolish the CET is not fair given that urban centres are for it and rural centres against it. The real issue of upgrading the skills of students from rural areas has not been addressed.

It is hoped the Government will review the decision and follow the all-India pattern so that students from Tamil Nadu do not lag behind their counterparts in professional education.

K. Sivasubramanian,
Chennai

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