Kakinada: The Andhra Pradesh government on Monday advanced the scheduled start of Eamcet counselling and admissions this year to facilitate the commencement of the academic year from June 19.
“The first year of engineering courses would commence from June 19 to reduce the migrations of students to other states due to delay of the Eamcet counselling,” said state human resources development minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao.
An early completion of Eamcet counselling process would also help in filling up of vacancies in engineering colleges in the state.
Students, who are appearing for Eamcet, and their parents are opposing the decision. They claim that many students appear for admission tests for prestigious institutes like IIT, IIIT, NIT among others simultaneously along with Eamcet and an early admission in a local engineering college could put them in a disadvantageous situation.
Parents further claim that if a student leaves a local engineering college opting for IIT or NIT or IIIT, the next ranker would not be available to fill in the vacancy created on this account as the counselling was already closed. This, they say, is a lose to the local college as well as students.
According to sources, University of Engineering Colleges under Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Kakinada (JNTU-K) have most of its seats vacant for the past two years.
The only solution for this, according to University College of Engineering Kakinada principal G.V.R. Prasada Raju, is conducting a third counselling.
“If the government conducts the third counselling, the vacant seats in prestigious engineering colleges may be get filled up. The parents sought a third counselling for the benefit of students,” he said.
