Private colleges clamour for OJEE

BHUBANESWAR: A day after the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) notified JEE Main 2018, the private engineering colleges of the State on Friday urged the State Government to switch back to Odisha JEE from the all-India test which is now the only route for admission into the State-based technical institutes.

Seeking intervention of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the Odisha Private Engineering Colleges Association (OPECA) said splitting away from JEE Main could save the private institutions which are struggling with an alarmingly rise in vacancy.

In the last four years since Odisha joined JEE Main, vacancy has gone up from 50 per cent to 75 per cent leaving the private professional colleges tottering, the association said. In a memorandum to the CM, the association sought to re-consider the Government’s decision of participating in JEE Main 2018 and conduct Odisha JEE for admission to first year BTech programme till the concept of One Country, One Exam is adopted by the Centre.

Secretary of OPECA Binod Dash said only six States including Odisha take part in JEE Main. Gujarat has decided to withdraw from the national test starting next year. The reach of state JEE is much bigger and helps students as well as the engineering colleges, he pointed out. The colleges’ body also said students from Odisha do not fare well in JEE Main because it is based on CBSE curriculum whereas the syllabus of Council of Higher Secondary Education is different. Besides, the number of examination centres under JEE Main is much less since it is held only in nine cities, which is one third of the OJEE test centres. The association has been seeking JEE Main tests in all district headquarters.

The OPECA also pointed out that under OJEE, there was a 10 per cent quota for students of outside states. Around 17,000 to 18,000 students from others states appear in OJEE but through JEE Main, the colleges straightaway lose half of these students.

Fervently urging the Government to consider its demands, the association said switching back to OJEE will not add to the burden as the State holds the test for other professional courses such as MBA, MCA and Pharmacy.