Son of a pushcart vendor in Tirupur, M. Prabhu, who secured second rank in engineering admissions, will study in the prestigious College of Engineering, Guindy (CEG), Anna University.
Prabhu, who came for counselling on Monday with his mother, chose Computer Science Engineering (CSE). His father Mayilsami and brother Vasu, a tailor, have promised to find the means to fund his engineering education. “I hope to get a scholarship that will reduce my family’s burden,” says Prabhu, who had a perfect score.
Five of the toppers chose CSE, three opted for Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) and two candidates selected Mechanical Engineering. Six of the top 10 rankers chose CEG, and the rest PSG College of Technology in Coimbatore.
Higher Education Minister P. Palaniappan distributed admission letters to the top 10 rank holders. Anna University Vice chancellor M. Rajaram said as many as 2.10 lakh seats were available in the 18th year of Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions (TNEA).
On the first day of counselling, there were several first generation college-goers. A. Ajith Kumar, who had a cut off of 199.25 is hoping that he would get a medical seat in the second session of medical counselling. His father P. Anbazhagan said though he was keen on medicine, he was agreeable to joining engineering.
N. Balaganesh came to Anna University a week ahead of his scheduled counselling as he wanted to understand the entire process. His father distributes milk packets and water cans in Arumbakkam. With a score of 1,050, he hopes to get a seat in a private college. “We plan to take education loan as we can’t afford the fees,” he said.
It was a carnival atmosphere at the University, where three sessions were held on Monday. Parents and their wards awaiting their turn, spent most of their time calculating the number of seats left at the end of each session. A friend or relative monitored the large screens installed at the venue and relayed messages over mobile phone as the student waited in the queue.
B. Arch admissions
This year as many as 1,669 seats of 2,600 are available in 38 institutions for the B. Arch degree course. A total of 29 seats have been surrendered by managements of self-financing institutions till now.
A guide to Engineering Education
* Based on knowledge and applications of concepts
* Books and reference materials are used only as guides
* Self study, use of library and other resources are essential
* Proficiency in maths and basic sciences a prerequisite
* Should revise all concepts in Plus One and Plus Two maths
* Should be able to solve new questions on any subject on your own
* Utilise the bridge courses to improve math skill and language
* Give importance to communication and personality development
* To improve math ability, log on to www.tndte.com
