A losing game for Kerala students
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The change in the admission policy to the National Institutes of Technology seems to have adversely affected students from Kerala. J. S. BABLU assesses the impact of the change, based on the trends seen at the conclusion of the first round of counselling and allotment at the National Institute of Technology – Calicut.
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— Photo: S.Ramesh Kurup
NOT ON EXPECTED LINES: On campus online admission in progress at National Institute of Technology-Calicut.
The new admission policy of filling the 50 per cent non-domicile seats in every National Institute of Technology (NIT) based on all-India merit led to loss of chance for many candidates from Kerala, when the allotments made as part of the on-campus online counselling ended at NIT Calicut (NIT-C) on July 14.
Many of the candidates who hoped to grab a seat at least in the least preferred branches, based on the admission pattern last year, had to leave dejected as seats even in these branches were taken by students having higher ranks, unlike the case last year.
The open category seats in both the State and all-India quotas were taken by July 7 itself. Students who attended counselling on June 6, the third day of counselling, grabbed the last of the remaining seats in these categories.
Loss for Kerala students
The removal of State-specific (in this case, Kerala-specific) seats has come as a disadvantage for the students from the State.
There were nearly 200 seats reserved for Kerala students in the NITs other than NIT-C last year. If the increase effected in the seats to implement reservation for candidates belonging to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category is also taken into account, 250 to 300 seats should have been reserved for students from Kerala, including those belonging to the OBC category.
Taking into account these and the number of students from Kerala who secured admission to the NITs when the on-campus online counselling and allotment ended on July 14, it was a losing game for Kerala students. Out of the 703 seats in NIT-C, 352 seats were reserved for students from Kerala as State-quota.
Of these, nine seats are still unclaimed. That means the total number of seats allotted to students from Kerala in State quota is 343.
The total number of students from Kerala who got admitted to NIT-C (under both State and all-India quota) was 417.
Seventy-four other students from Kerala got admission at the NIT-C in the all-India quota, as Kerala students were also allowed to compete in all-India seats in NIT-C as per the new admission policy.
Other NITs
Besides these, a total of 30 students from Kerala got admitted to other NITs this year. Thus, the total number of students admitted to the NITs in seats other than the State-quota in NIT-C and all-India seats in other NITs is 104. When one considers the 250 to 300 seats Kerala students would have got, if there was no change in admission policy and also taking to account the increase in seats to implement OBC reservation, the number of students who actually got admissions is very less.
Thus, students from Kerala seem to have been adversely hit by the new admission policy. This is not to ignore the fact that 74 Kerala students got admission to NIT-C under the all-India quota.
But, on the other hand, NIT-C was able to attract better ranking students, whether it be under the State-quota or all India quota.
That was a brighter aspect of the new policy, pointed out those handling admissions at NIT-C.
There are unconfirmed reports that NITs may gradually do away with the State-specific quotas.
Trends
The majority of high ranking students opted for electronics and communication engineering (EC). Computer science and engineering (CSE) was the second sought-after branch.
One of the high ranking students (all-India rank 1,134) this year opted for mechanical engineering.
Another student having AIR 7,492 opted for civil engineering at NIT-C.
Students who secured the first six ranks in the State rank of AIEEE did not appear for counselling at NIT-C. It is assumed that they might have got admitted to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) or might not have been interested in joining NITs.
The State rank holder in the seventh position with all-India rank (AIR) 373 appeared as first candidate for counselling and opted for electronics and communication at NIT-C. Interestingly, the first candidate to join electronics and communication at NIT-C under the all-India quota was a Keralite with AIR 373 and the next seven seats in EC were also filled by candidates from Kerala under the all-India quota. Only the ninth seat was picked up by a non-Keralite candidate.
The first candidate to opt for EEE branch was also a Keralite. Students from Kerala grabbed the first eight seats in the general category in mechanical engineering under the All-India quota.
The last rank admitted in State quota at NIT-C was 15,958 in biotechnology.
Schedule
The candidates who have been allotted seats under the on-campus online counselling should have reported at NIT-C on or before July 20. However, the remote reporting candidates can report till July 22. The drop-out seat allotment will begin on July 23.
The second round of counselling, off-campus online counselling, will begin on August 2.
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