The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : State to consider cut in eligibility marks

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Wednesday, May 12, 2010
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

State to consider cut in eligibility marks

Special Correspondent

K. Ponmudy

CHENNAI: The State government will consider reducing eligibility marks for admission to engineering colleges after consulting educationists, Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy said here on Tuesday.

The eligibility marks in Plus Two for Scheduled Caste students is 35 per cent, while for others it is 55 per cent. In the current budget session, there were suggestions to reduce the eligibility marks for admissions to avoid seats falling vacant.

Representatives of self-financing colleges point out that deemed universities and other States are using only a minimum pass criterion for admission.

Speaking at a meeting with representatives of self-financing engineering colleges, Mr. Ponmudy said that with a number of seats going vacant in the previous year's counselling, it made sense to allow students with lower marks also to avail themselves of the seats.

Plea to colleges

Referring to the fact that Assembly elections are due within a year, Mr. Ponmudy asked colleges not to ask for fee revision.

He urged the colleges to follow the prescribed fee structure and asked them not to collect capitation fees. As in previous years, a monitoring committee would be formed and action taken against colleges charged with collecting capitation fees.

On the standoff between various self-financing colleges and the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) over the new norms prescribed by the council, Mr. Ponmudy said the AICTE acting chairman had asked Tamil Nadu colleges to withdraw their court cases and comply with the norms.

Replying to a query, Mr. Ponmudy said the V.C. Kulandai Swamy Committee, appointed last year to look into the issue of transforming certain colleges into unitary universities, would submit its report to the Chief Minister on Wednesday.

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