EAMCET row intensifies in Telangana

Hyderabad: The controversy over the commencement of Eamcet counselling in the Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh deepened on Monday with the AP State Council of Higher Education deciding to go ahead with the issue of counselling notifications on July 30 despite the TS government boycotting a meeting convened for the purpose.

The TS government’s petition aimed at the postponement of Eamcet counselling has been pending with the Supreme Court. That, however, didn’t stop the APSCHE from convening the meeting to issue counselling schedules for Eamcet and other professional courses admissions.

AP had invited principal secretaries of higher education departments from both states, besides officials of technical education. However, Telangana’s principal secretary Vikas Raj and other TS officials skipped the meeting, giving enough indications that the TS government was not in favour of starting counselling till the nativity issues on fee reimbursement were resolved.

As per the AP Reorganisation Act of 2014, common counselling has to be conducted by the APSCHE for both the states. But doubts are being raised over how this will be possible with TS government now claiming that it is not party to the “unilateral decision” taken by APSCHE to issue Eamcet counselling notification on July 30 and commence certificate verification process from August 7.

APSCHE chairman Prof. L. Venugopal Reddy has justified the decision saying there was required quorum to hold the meeting and take decisions, despite absence of TS officials.

“It’s true that the TS government had approached the Supreme Court seeking postponement of Eamcet counselling. However, the court last week observed that it will not issue orders for halting the counselling while moving the case to August 4. In this backdrop, we have decided to go ahead with the commencement of Eamcet counselling,” Prof. Reddy said.

He added that APSCHE had only issued schedules for counselling notification and verification of certificates and that it will announce schedules to opt for seats during web-based counselling, only in consultation with both states.

Telangana principal secretary of higher education, Mr Vikas Raj, has shot off a letter to APSCHE saying he was not attending the meeting as it was convened “unilaterally” without consulting the TS government.

As per AP Reorganisation Act, it is not possible to conduct separate counselling by individual states and common counselling has to be conducted for a period of 10 years by duly following existing quotas with regard to local and non-local students.

Several top colleges are located in and around Hyderabad and students from the Seemandhra region vie for seats in these colleges in Eamcet counselling under the 20 per cent unreserved quota. Unless the Telangana government agrees for counselling, it will not be possible to include the colleges located in T region in the counselling list.