Odisha govt warns colleges against offline admission of students

BHUBANESWAR: The higher education department has asked degree colleges in the state not to allow admission of students through offline counselling.
The department shifted to online admission of students from 2011-12 academic session. It has recently found out that some colleges violated admission rules and admitted students through offline counselling.
The department on Wednesday asked three degree colleges to show cause for violating admission rules. The colleges include Raja Madhusudan Dev Degree College of Science and Education in Patia (Bhubaneswar), Krishna Institute of Management and Science (KIMS) in Bhubaneswar and Ghuna Degree College, Ghuna in Balangir.
Jayanta Narayan Sarangi, additional secretary of the higher education department, said the institutions have been asked to respond by February 15.
“The college in Patia has requested the department to regularize admission of 51 students (21 in arts, 14 in commerce and 16 in science) into Plus-III first year, who did not apply through the student academic management system (a single window system for e-admission) in the last admission session,” Sarangi wrote in the showcause notice sent to the college principal.
“This apart, some students have been allotted honours degree by the college without adhering to the cut off marks. It is a gross violation of e-admission rules,” Sarangi added.
Similarly, KIMS has requested the department for regularization of admission of 52 students (33 in arts, seven in commerce and 12 in science) into Plus III first year classes. The number of students admitted to the Balangir college through offline counselling is 21.
While the principals of two colleges could not be contacted, KIMS principal Swarnalata Mishra said they have responded to the department’s notice.
“We have warned all colleges not to admit any student through offline counselling. It will land them into trouble,” a senior official of the department said. The state has 52 government degree colleges and more than 1,000 government aided and private colleges.