Engineering admissions are to start on Friday, but architecture aspirants are yet to know the tentative cut-offs, the number of seats available in the State as well as details of their counselling.
The delay in receiving the information has increased the anxiety levels among students who are keen on architecture but might now have to choose engineering.
The delay, say officials, is because Anna University is still finalising the number of seats for this year. The University is all set to have 40 more seats this year. Last year, the council of architecture had halved the intake from 80 to 40, citing shortage of space and insufficient faculty. The reduced intake was to be in effect from the academic year 2012-2013 for a period of five years. Aggrieved by this decision, the University had filed a writ petition in the Madras High Court.
“The council had informed us about some discrepancies but the matter is sorted out now. We have clarified our position to the council and we are most likely to have 80 seats this year, which means more students can get quality education,” said a University official. “There is no reason why when other private colleges with limited facilities have more than 100 seats in architecture alone, Anna University should reduce its strength,” he said.
“We had observed that the University, in the last few years, had admitted many extra students, without following norms. There are also charges that seats were sold for several lakhs,” said a council member.
According to the council, 46 students were admitted in 2007 as against the permitted 40, while in 2008, the University admitted 53. In 2010, when the permitted intake was increased to 80, the University admitted 94 students, and 83 the next year.
University officials said the architecture cut-offs would be released in a week. The rank list will be declared by June-end, and counselling will begin on July 7.
