The indefinite delay in finalising the date for engineering counselling has put the private engineering colleges in a Catch 22 situation. But the maximum benefit is being reaped by the deemed universities in both the states of AP and Telangana and the private colleges in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Last year due to the delay in the counselling process, about 50,000 students sought admission into colleges in other states and that had left about 100 colleges high and dry and the same is expected this year also.
There are about 3.6 lakh seats in around 670 engineering colleges in both the states of AP and Telangana of which about 2.5 lakh are category ‘A’ seats (counselling seats) and the remaining are category ‘B’ seats. This year about 1.7 lakh have qualified in EAMCET, thus leaving about 80,000 counselling seats vacant.
“On top of that already 40,000 have sought admission in deemed universities and in colleges in other states. Last year, about 100 colleges were in the red and 30 closed down. This year another 100 will definitely run dry. Even a few of the top colleges will have about 30 per cent vacant seats,” said GMRIT principal C.L.V.R.S.V. Prasad.
But that is not the case with the deemed universities, almost all of them are already full and according to sources, a few of the colleges in Tamil Nadu have enhanced the number of sections to accommodate about 1,000 students per stream.
Sources say that the delay is deliberate by the TRS government as “TRS is keen to do away with the fee reimbursement scheme in Telangana with the idea of acquiring the sick colleges at market price to fulfil its promise of giving education free from LKG to PG. But its indecisiveness is harming the colleges in AP also,” said a reliable source.
