The online admission process implemented by the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) aims to streamline higher education admissions. However, recent incidents have shed light on the difficulties faced by students during the registration process and the potential risks to their future, stated a report in The New Indian Express.
Limited editing options and the absence of certificate verification for special categories students with sports, National Cadet Corps (NCC), CAP and differently-abled (HC) quotas raised concerns among students and their parents.
Here are their woes
One such incident involved Sivaparvathi, who faced obstacles while attempting to register with her intermediate hall ticket number, only to discover that it had already been used by another applicant. After a rigorous struggle, Sivaparvathi managed to prove her candidature by producing her original certificates at the helpline.
The initial notification released by APSCHE outlined the UG degree admission dates for the special category students to attend in person on specific dates. However, this created confusion among students who registered online on June 24, as they were unsure when and where to get their certificates verified. This situation could have been avoided if certificate verification had been allowed for an additional day after the registration deadline, according to a sports coach.
Meanwhile, APSCHE extended the registration deadline from June 24 to July 7 for the sake of the candidates who were unable to register their candidature. While this extension was beneficial, there was no mention of certificate verification for special category candidates.
Furthermore, if a student enters an incorrect hall ticket number, both the original hall ticket holder and the student with the wrong entry will lose eligibility for counselling. Unfortunately, the helpline offers no solution when approached about this issue.
The New Indian Express' inquiry revealed that the helpline can only rectify errors such as mobile numbers, date of birth, regions, fee reimbursements and caste information, but lacks the option to correct mistakes related to hall ticket numbers.
Helpline helps?
M Sudhakar, a student from Machavaram in Vijayawada shared his experience of seeking help from the helpline, only to be advised to visit the APSCHE head office for assistance.
Unlike the previous year, this year's helpline lacks the option to delete applications along with the editing feature. Consequently, many students have faced various problems due to the absence of such a facility, said Venkata Raghaviah, parent of a student from Uyyur.
Prof Y Nazeer Ahmed, secretary of APSCHE, acknowledged the challenges faced by students in correcting mistakes related to hall ticket numbers and will address them as soon as possible. He suggested that students carefully review the displayed name while entering their hall ticket numbers. Ahmed emphasised that certificate verification for special category candidates would occur only once during the admission process, but they will look into the matter when the problem arises for many students.
