The degree college admissions may reach the court yet again this year with the colleges refusing to accept the Degree Online Services Telangana (DOST) in the present format that clubs the best colleges with the mediocre ones, and offers the same fee structure to all colleges.
The DOST notification is likely to be released on May 5 and online applications will start from May 8, but the college managements of various hues are gearing up to challenge the same in the courts. The Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TSCHE) is handling the admissions this year while Commissionerate of Collegiate Education conducted them last year.
“All the issues raised by us last year have not been addressed to so far. No stakeholder was called for any meeting by the Government before framing the rules. How can we accept this unilateral decision that harms colleges and students,” argued B. Laxma Reddy, Director, Association for Strengthening of Private Initiative in Rural Education (ASPIRE).
Certificates verification
The group has already represented to the Principal Secretary, Higher Education arguing that DOST suffers from structural deficiencies and unless they are corrected colleges cannot be made party to admissions. He argues that verification of certificates should be done on the lines of engineering admissions so that only genuine students apply.
Last year, the ASPIRE claims, thousands of Engineering and Medical aspirants blocked the degree admissions and later moved to professional courses causing financial losses to the colleges as the seats went vacant. The conception of DOST itself was faulty and implementation led almost death-knell to colleges, it claimed.
Stay order
Meanwhile, a group of 46 colleges, considered to be sought-after by the students for their brand image and quality of education offered, stayed out of DOST last year getting a stay order from the court. “More colleges are joining us this year as they understood the futility of the DOST that has curtailed their academic and administrative freedom,” said the Correspondent of a top college wishing anonymity.
A major demand of the colleges was to revise the fee structure so that they maintained standards. “Students come to us for quality and pay the fee accordingly. It is ridiculous to measure all colleges on the same scale,” argued another correspondent. “In the last one year the Government has not taken any step to correct this anomaly or at least discuss with the stakeholders to find a solution, and this reflects their non-seriousness,” he argued.
Fee structure
The fee structure for B.Com ranges from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 12,000; B.Sc - Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 14,000 and BA around Rs. 5,000 depending on the university.
The Osmania University allowed the colleges to collect an additional Rs. 10,000 but it was challenged in the court.
Colleges also demand that they should be allowed to collect the fee in advance from the students who can claim the same later through fee reimbursement.
“Nearly 80% students applied for reimbursement last year and their applications are yet to be uploaded and we have not received a single rupee,” say the colleges.
Around 1,100 degree colleges in Telangana with an intake capacity of 4.5 lakh seats are facing the same problem, the managements claim. Last year only 2.5 lakh seats were filled.
