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Latest News |
| 11th
July 2010 / Times of India / Pune Edition |
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Merit takes backseat in new AIEEE counselling
FLAWED PROCESS
New Delhi: A major flaw in the All India Engineering Entrance
Examination counselling, introduced this year, can result
in meritorious students — those with better ranks
— getting a raw deal.
According to the new system outlined by the Central Counselling
Board (CCB) of AIEEE, students who have been allotted
a seat (engineering branch of choice) in any round till
the first three rounds of counselling will have to take
a provisional admission. If someone does not get a seat
of his choice till the third round, he can opt for the
fourth round. But the big caveat is that he will have
to give up his claim on what he has been allotted till
the third round and fill up his choice afresh —
an option rife with insecurity.
Sources in the CCB said the flaw has been brought to their
notice but refused to state if any action will be taken.
The result for the fourth round comes out on July 22 and
a student will compulsorily take admission in whichever
course he is allotted. This change practically extinguishes
the option that the students so far had, that of moving
to a better institute and a branch of their choice even
after reporting for admission.
Under the new rules, there is room only for ‘internal
sliding’ (movement of position within the institute)
that can be availed of, with the option of movement across
NITs over. In short, it will leave students trapped in
NITs not necessarily of their choice: an irony in an age
where there is so much of premium on choice.
With results of third round of counselling to come on
Sunday, students from all over the country have launched
online protests (protestagainstccb.webs.com and entrancecorner.com)
demanding a change in the rules so that deserving students
get NITs of their choice.
Students have even found a major inconsistency in CCB’s
argument that “sliding” will be possible within
the institution. “If a student cannot change his
institution how will a seat be vacated to upgrade any
other student’s branch,” asks one student.
The third flaw being pointed out is that after the fourth
round of counselling, not so popular branches in top NITs
will still be vacant and these will go to low-ranked students.
Upgradation in the same NIT, students say, can also create
a situation of a low-ranker getting a better branch. How?
Students explain it through an illustration. Suppose a
student with an all-India rank (AIR) of 6,500 gets computer
engineering in NIT Durgapur and another student with AIR
6,000 gets computer engineering in NIT Allahabad. In case
the second student chooses to join any other engineering
college — a common practice — like IIT, BITS
and others, the vacancy in Allahabad will go to a student
within the institute, whatever be his rank, and not to
someone with a better rank.
Students feel the flaw can still be rectified. They say
there will be a large number of dropout seats after the
fourth round of counselling since many students who have
got through to other engineering colleges will wait till
that round. But the vacancies thus created will not help
students who have already taken admission in NITs after
the third or fourth round. Therefore, students have demanded
open upgradation — from one institute to another
— like it was done last year. They also want CCB
to allow one round of counselling after refunds have been
made to those who did not take admission.
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