TIRUCHI
Securing admissions for undergraduate programmes in arts and science colleges in and around the city has turned rather tough for even 'above average' students.
Apparently, only top scorers are able to secure admissions into UG programmes in leading arts and science colleges as the cut-off limit has been raised this year for almost all the courses. Students who had scored in the range of 60 % to 80% in Plus Two say they find themselves left high and dry, as their names are not found even in the third or fourth merit lists of the colleges.
As many top-scorers prefer arts and science programmes over engineering degrees in recent years, the trend is not entirely unusual, but the tight cut-off has meant the students with top scores have to set their sights on higheto lesser noticed colleges in rural parts, according to a senior faculty of a leading arts and science college in the city.
College principals say the competition has turned stiff for even self-financing courses. "The marks the students have scored may look good for them. But, when it comes to competition, only those who score well above the cut-off will be able to secure admissions," a principal of a leading arts and science college said, referring to a score of 596 out of 600 by a candidate admitted into B.A. Economics programme.
The shift in attention of top-scorers towards arts and science programmes was the reason why the Department of Higher Education contemplated online counselling for admission for B.A., B.Sc., B.Com and BBA programmes before the start of the academic year. However, the idea was not pursued.
"It is unfortunate that the move was withdrawn. Online counselling would have widened opportunities for deserving students to choose colleges of their choice in a transparent way, and for implementing the reservation system in a better manner,” K. John Kumar, former Head, Department of History, Bishop Heber College, said.