Tamil Nadu engineering counselling for general category to be held after NEET results, says Higher Education Minister Ponmudi

The decision will help to prevent seats going vacant, says Mr. Ponmudy

Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudi. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu

The single-window counselling for general category in engineering education, which was set to begin on August 25, has been postponed.

The Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions Committee 2022 will conduct counselling for general category candidates two days after results of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for medical admissions are published, Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudi announced on August 24. 

“The decision was necessary to prevent seats going vacant following students migrating to medical colleges post-NEET results,” he said. 

For several years, particularly after the introduction of NEET, Anna University and several top rung colleges see dozens of students exiting engineering after they are allotted seats in MBBS.

The admission process for engineering is such that applicants cannot be called for a second round of counselling as it is a longer process. More than two lakh students register for engineering admissions annually. This year 1.58 lakh students have been declared eligible to participate in counselling .

Each year the TNEA conducts counselling in four rounds according to the ranks awarded based on the candidates’ cut off marks. It takes a week for each round to be completed. Students will be given seven additional days to report to the allotted college and pay the fees.

‘Delay in NEET results’

Speaking to reporters in Villupuram, Mr. Ponmudi said that due to the delay in NEET results, the counselling schedule has been postponed. The counselling would begin two days after the release of NEET results. Earlier, the government had extended the deadline to apply for seats in government arts and science colleges owing to a delay in the publication of class XII CBSE results, he said.

“We expected the NEET results to be released on August 21 but it has been delayed. Last year, a number of students surrendered their engineering seats due to delays in NEET results. This resulted in vacancies in engineering courses at Anna University. Realising this, the government had delayed the counselling process till August 25,” he said.