Admission for engineering courses for 2018-19 will begin once the permission to extend the process is received from Supreme Court, said Higher Education Minister K.P. Anbalagan. On the sidelines of the inauguration of a workshop at Anna University on Tuesday, the Minister said as per schedule, online counselling would begin after the medical education department completes counselling for management quota seats in self-financing colleges, which is expected to be held from July 16 to 18.
To a question on whether counselling would be further delayed as the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday had ordered a new merit list to be prepared incorporating its direction that students from Tamil medium be given grace marks for wrong translation, the Minister said, “We have sought extension for admission process from the Supreme Court and the case is coming up for hearing on July 13. We have delayed counselling for engineering courses to avoid vacancies arising out of candidates choosing medical seats afterwards. If medical counselling is delayed further, then based on the court direction on Friday we will begin the process,” he told reporters.
Counselling for special categories had been completed and for vacancies in these categories eligible candidates would be called again and seats would be filled, he said.
Huge vacancies
On the large-scale vacancies in engineering colleges, the Minister said, “Though 1.59 lakh students applied only around 1.04 lakh candidates appeared for certificate verification. We expect around 80,000-85,000 students to join engineering.”
The government has increased the number of arts and science colleges and also permitted colleges to increase the intake.
On the State’s stand on the dismantling of the University Grants Commission Act, the Minister said the Centre had separated the administration and funding process.
“We have prepared a report on our suggestions which we will submit to the Ministry of Human Resource Department. We do not want the changes to affect the running of our State universities,” he said.