Candidates seeking admission to B Tech courses in 750 colleges affiliated to Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU) are frustrated with endless delay and repeated extensions of the start of counselling schedule.
The university has not been able to start the process even as August draws to a close. The candidates are taking to social media tagging PM Narendra Modi, chief minister Yogi Adityanath and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) seeking their intervention as fear of zero session looms over AKTU.
“Our future is on the line here. First, it was extended till August 4, then August 14 and later to August 20. No updates since then,” posted a candidate. Another aggrieved admission seeker wrote: “We need transparency. Urgent attention needed. Students and parents are facing tremendous stress due to the prolonged delay in release of the counselling schedule.”
Candidates want AKTU to expedite the release of the counselling schedule. The university has not issued any official statement for the delay.
The admission seekers fear threat of zero session at AKTU for the academic year 2023-24 in the first-year courses after the Supreme Court (SC) rejected university’s plea that challenged the high court’s (HC) order turning down the university’s request for extending the date for granting affiliation to new colleges and extending affiliation of the existing colleges.
{{/usCountry}}The admission seekers fear threat of zero session at AKTU for the academic year 2023-24 in the first-year courses after the Supreme Court (SC) rejected university’s plea that challenged the high court’s (HC) order turning down the university’s request for extending the date for granting affiliation to new colleges and extending affiliation of the existing colleges.
{{/usCountry}}All India Council Technical Education (AICTE) mandates that a college has to apply for fresh renewal of affiliation from AICTE first and then has to get affiliation from AKTU.
AICTE academic calendar says last date of granting or refusal approval by AICTE was June 10, final date of granting approval after appeal was June 30 and the last date for grant of affiliation by the university was July 31. This year, AKTU missed the deadline.
AICTE says the last date up to which first year students can be admitted against vacancies and last date for commencement of class for the first year students is September 15.
With just two weeks to go, the admission seekers are anxious about their future. When the university missed the deadline, it approached the high court with a date extension plea. When it was turned down, AKTU challenged the HC’s decision in the Supreme Court but the appeal was rejected there.
“We will file a review petition in SC with facts and hope to get relief. Candidates should not get anxious as we are hopeful to get relief in SC’s review and counselling process will start and will wrap it by September 15,” said AKTU vice-chancellor prof JP Pandey.