Arts and Science Colleges are set to reopen but associations of university and college teachers say the admission process is still not transparent.
In an effort to enroll students early, the self-financing colleges routinely violate the Directorate of College Education guidelines and start the admission process much earlier than government colleges, say academicians.
The private colleges had started admission process through a ‘token’ system on May 12, the day Plus 2 results were published. But government colleges began the process 10 days after the results were published, academicians said adding that the constituent colleges of some universities are holding the counselling session even now.
Association of University Teachers (AUT) members say that in government colleges a candidate can apply for at least three programmes in one application form. But in the private colleges the students have to apply separately for various programmes and a lot of money comes from the sale of application forms itself as the colleges receive at least 20-30 times their intake capacity.
High fees
AUT Vice President N. Pasupathi who led a demonstration in Coimbatore against high fee structure in self-financing colleges earliler this month said, “Some colleges in Coimbatore and Erode also demand capitation fee. In a Women’s College, parents paid donation and were given receipt for it too.
Examination fee is also higher in autonomous colleges, said K. Pandiyan, a former AUT president. “There is no regulation of fees at all. For example, universities collect ₹55 per paper but autonomous colleges charge ₹175 per paper as fee,” he said.
Contrary to belief that fees in the first semester is higher than for the rest of the course, the parent of a Chennai-based student, who is in the final year of B.Sc in an autonomous college, said that there was no significant dip in the fee. “I pay more or less the same amount every semester. It may be just a few thousands less than the first semester,” he said.
For several years now the AUT has been demanding that 50% seats in aided colleges be brought under government quota and single window counselling. “Since all aided colleges are government-controlled why hesitate? Students will benefit as the State has over 400 colleges with an intake of 700 students each,” Mr. Pasupathi said.
Government college teachers say if the DCE ensured strict adherence to admission norms it would improve the quality of students in their institutions.
“Only a few courses are in much demand - B Com, B.A. English Literature and B.Sc Mathematics. We have advised the government to start counselling and admission process immediately after the release of results,” said a retired government college principal.
Government colleges do well in towns without self-financing institutions and they are sought more if they offer PG courses, said R. Venkatachalam, former president of Tamil Nadu Government College Teachers.
Admission audit
A former Chennai-based aided college principal suggests an admission audit committee comprising a retired judge, a retired principal and an independent academician, which on a random basis would audit some of the leading aided colleges.
