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Engineering institutes in Maharashtra fear SEBC quota verdict, CET results may delay admissions for first-year courses
Days after the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) released a circular stating the new academic calendar for 2020-21 academic year, colleges in Maharashtra
Days after the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) released a circular stating the new academic calendar for 2020-21 academic year, colleges in Maharashtra are worried about being able to adhere to the new deadline.
With results for the state common entrance test (CET) yet to be announced and a petition against the implementation of the Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC) Act that mandates 12-13% reservation for the Maratha community still being heard at the Supreme Court, engineering college heads feel that the November 30 deadline given by AICTE for admissions might be difficult to meet.
“Due to the prolonged emergent conditions in the country and requests from various state governments and looking at the ongoing admissions, the council has extended last date of admissions for first-year engineering courses (undergraduate and diploma lateral entry) to November 30. Accordingly, classes of the first year will commence on December 1, 2020,” states the circular released by AICTE last week.
“The entire admission process, which includes the registration process as well as the seat allotment rounds, takes at least four to five weeks. However, the process can’t start unless there’s clarity in the status of reservation for admissions,” said the principal of a Pune-based private engineering institute.
While CET exams were conducted in the first week of October, the state government decided to hold another session of the entrance exam for those students who could not attempt the paper in the first session either because they had contracted Covid-19 or were living at a quarantine zone. Registrations for the second phase ended recently and the exam will be held soon.
“If the state and central government work together, it might be possible to finish the admissions process within a month to ensure that the new academic year begins on December 1 for the new batch. But it all depends on the fate of the SEBC Act in court,” said Gopakumaran Thampi, principal, Thadomal Shahani Engineering College, Bandra.
