Thiruvananthapuram: Prospectus panel snubs engineering colleges

Thiruvananthapuram: Prospectus committee of the Commissioner of Entrance Examinations has rejected the demand of self-financing engineering colleges to dilute the eligibility criteria entrance tests. There were two demands.

The first was to allow students who passed the qualifying exam to seek admissions in management quota without entrance exams. That's not part of the prospectus. 

However, the higher education department has kept this option open to take a final decision outside the prospectus during talks for fixing quota and fee.
They also wanted the government to allow all who had passed the qualifying exams with math, physics and chemistry to take the entrance exams.One of the amendments proposed in the prospectus was to allow three round of counselling, in place of two. One of the complaints was that students admitted to self-financing colleges could not seek admissions to government and aided colleges after the third round.

 This was seen as a clause favourable for them. This clause has been removed. 

Three years ago, there were three rounds of counselling, which was reduced to two allegedly to safeguard their interests.  As per the present criteria, candidates must pass the higher secondary exam, Kerala, or equivalent with 50 per cent marks in maths separately and 50 per cent in maths, physics and chemistry, put together for merit quota seats.

To take admissions under Management Quota in private or government-controlled self-financing engineering colleges, candidates must have 45 per cent marks in these three put together.