The Hindu : Front Page : Engineering admission process subject to High Court ruling

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Friday, Jun 17, 2011
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Engineering admission process subject to High Court ruling

Special Correspondent

Petitioner terms illegal inclusion of new clause
Says new method not followed for other courses

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Thursday ordered that all further proceedings initiated on the basis of the new method of selection of candidates for engineering course admissions would be subject to the outcome of a writ petition challenging the selection method.

Justice P.R. Ramachandra Menon issued the order on a writ petition filed by Shaheeda Kaithal, mother of an engineering course aspirant.

According to her, a fresh clause on the new method of selection has been inserted in the prospectus published by the Commissioner for Entrance Examination.

As per the clause, marks obtained by candidates in the qualifying examinations will be considered in addition to the marks obtained in the common entrance examination.

The petitioner said the action of the entrance commissioner in including the new clause was arbitrary and illegal.

The new method of selection had not been followed in the case of other courses. Therefore, it was discriminatory and against the fundamental right to get equal treatment before law.

The commissioner had no power to include the clause regarding the new method of selection in the prospectus.

Petitioner's contention

The petitioner submitted that computation of qualifying examination marks along with the marks in the entrance examination had been deprecated by the Supreme Court and the High Court in various cases.

She pointed out that the yardstick adopted for awarding marks in the qualifying examinations varied from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), ICSE, and the State board.

Equality aspect

Although normalisation of the marks would be done, computing the marks in the qualifying examination only for admission to the engineering courses would offend the equality principle enshrined in the Constitution.

She alleged that the new method was introduced to provide undue benefits to engineering colleges outside the State.

The petitioner sought to quash the new selection procedure.

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