State Higher Education department is likely to introduce online counselling for admission into arts and science courses in colleges and universities in the state from the coming academic year, similar to the Tamil Nadu Engineering Admission done for the engineering courses.
"We have not decided yet. We are discussing with the stakeholders," Higher Education Secretary Mangat Ram Sharma told Express. The idea was discussed during the review meeting Chief Secretary K Shanmugam had with higher education secretary and other officials of the department on July 19. During the meeting, as part of modernisation and enhancing automation, technical capacity in institution, a request to bring about the admission process online in colleges and universities as done by engineering colleges to maintain transparency was discussed.
Chief Secretary readily accepted the idea and requested to initiate on the process, reads the minutes of the meeting. In the Tamil Nadu Engineering Admission (TNEA), 100 percent seats in Anna University and government colleges, 90 percent seats in government aided colleges, 65 percent seats in self financing colleges and 50 percent seats in minority colleges are filled through single window counselling under government quota. In case, single window system is introduced in arts and science colleges, similar seat sharing formula is likely to be followed.Association of University Teachers president N Pasupathy, AUT's long pending demand is introduction of single window counselling system.
"Students will be benefitted in many ways. They will not be required to buy application separately for each college by paying hefty amount. In Aided and self financing colleges fees is very high and they do not follow reservations. By introducing single window counselling, this can be avoided," he added. However, Ajeet Kumar Lal Mohan, president of Association of Self Financing Arts, Science and Management Colleges of Tamil Nadu is of the view that the Central government going to come out with the New Education Policy and the State should at least wait till comes up with NEP. Single window system in the case of engineering is a failed model and why should the government introduce a failed model in to the arts and science college system, he asked.
He also pointed out, Supreme Court has clearly said in a TMA Pai Foundation case that as far as self financing colleges, which are self supported, government should not interfere in their admission.There is no doubt that admissions have to be transparent. But, we have to see the prevailing situation in self financing colleges. In case single window system is introduced, only urban college will benefit and rural colleges will be the most affected, like in the case of engineering colleges.
He also demanded that the same should be introduced for the private universities for arts and science courses as well as engineering courses.
