Telangana panel on paper

Hyderabad: The Telangana State Council of Higher Education, which was hurriedly set up two days ago by the Telangana government to take on Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education on Eamcet counselling, will have no role to play in the ensuing Eamcet counselling.

Officials said that with the Supreme Court giving a clear-cut direction that the Eamcet counselling has to held in the method that was in force in the undivided state, the APSCHE will be the competent authority to conduct the common counselling.

The Telangana State government has only issued a GO setting up TSCHE, but the chairman, vice-chairman and members are yet to be appointed. As of now, the TSCHE exists only on paper. TSCHE can be accorded powers only through an Act in the Legislative Assembly, which in not possible in the near future with the Supreme Court fixing August 31 as cut off date for concluding counselling.

Though the Telangana State government has the option of taking the ordinance route to accord powers to TSCHE, it will take a few weeks to draft the ordinance by the legal department in consultation with legal experts and it must be sent to the Governor for approval.

However, the chances of the Governor granting approval to the Ordinance at this stage are also bleak in the wake of SC observations that the common counselling has to be conducted by APSCHE and there should not be any effect on students on account of bifurcation of state since the provision to conduct common admissions has been incorporated in the AP Reorganisation Act 2014.

Telangana officials opine that any hurry on according powers to TSCHE to block Eamcet counselling to be conducted by APSCHE will invite fresh legal troubles for the Telangana government causing further embarrassment.