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Admissions to professional colleges
PROF. S. MUTHUKUMARAN
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Alternative methods to reduce waiting time and expedite the counselling process
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The procedure being adopted at present for admissions to the professional colleges in Tamil Nadu appears to take time. It is to be observed that methods that were devised when the number of seats in the colleges was in hundreds cannot be appropriate when the numbers have increased manifold.
This year, the results of the +2 examinations were announced on May 10. The counselling for B.E. courses is scheduled to close on Aug 31. Hopefully the admissions to Engineering colleges will close on Sept 15 and consequently the admissions to the arts and science colleges will close by the end of October. The admission process may take as much as five months or more. In effect the youngsters of this State will be wasting one semester in finding admissions! The public and the Government will have to realise that this is a colossal waste of precious time of the youngsters and unnecessary hardship and mental agony for several months for a large number of students and their parents. It is time a satisfactory method for quick completion of admissions is found.
Simultaneous counselling
During 1989, the Government of Tamil Nadu constituted a committee under the chairmanship of the then Vice Chancellor of Bharathidasan University to advise it on the adoption of the counselling procedure. The report, among other things, also gave recommendations regarding simultaneous counselling for admission to all professional courses; but suggested that simultaneous counselling may be introduced after gaining confidence in the counselling procedure. Since then, not only sufficient experience has been gained but also substantial advances have been made in technology and based on these, the following suggestions are made for completing the admissions speedily.
After processing of applications and preparation of rank list, all the applicants may be called for counselling in a number of centres distributed all over the State (at least one in each district), may be informed of the marks and ranks obtained by the last candidate admitted during last year to each branch in each college and may be required to give number of choices in the order of their preference. Thereafter, the allotment can be made and intimated to all the applicants. The orders for Engineering, Medical and Agriculture courses may be issued simultaneously giving the applicants a chance to join in whatever course they like within a week. While joining they may also indicate whether they would like to be considered for change of college or branch if vacancies arise. Thereafter, if there is a need, reallocations may be made. By this method, the admission process to professional courses may be completed in about 12 to 22 days after the finalisation of the rank list as against the present 42 days.
Other recommendations
Alternatively, even while issuing the application forms, the applicants may be counselled to give their choices in the order of preference based on the information to be provided to the applicants about the ranks and marks of the last candidate got admitted last year, If the processing of the applications are made then and there, then the rank list can be announced in 5 to 10 days after the last date for filing applications. Thereafter the admission orders may be issued as in the previous alternative. This will save about 15 to 20 days in the processing time. By this method, it may be possible to complete the admissions in about a month’s time from the last date for submission of applications.
Further, the time for processing may be reduced substantially by electronically transferring the marks of the candidates from the records of the examining boards to the admitting agency. By adopting the first alternative this year, it may be possible to close the professional college admissions by about the end of July. By adopting the second alternative during next year, it may be possible to save another fortnight. It is time the admitting authorities take serious note of the unnecessary wastage of time and find alternative methods to expedite the process.
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