Government refuses proposal to bring down cut -off in Maths

Updated on: Saturday, June 16, 2012

The Kerala self-financing engineering college management association (KSFECMA), representing 100-odd engineering colleges in the state, were unable to bring down the cut-off in mathematics to 45 per cent for engineering admissions as government officials resisted the proposal tooth and nail at a meeting on Thursday between the representatives of KSFECMA and the government.

Higher education principal secretary K.M. Abraham and director of technical education Dr J. Letha were among those who represented the government side.

The officials did not buy the arguments of the association for lowering the cut-off.

Principal Secretary was of the view that in the light of the adverse observation of the Kerala high court regarding the lowering standards of engineering education in the state, it was not possible.

He is also learnt to have pointed out that the average of the maths marks last year and this year showed only a marginal difference of one per cent, and hence the situation this year didn’t warrant a lowering of the cut-off for engineering admission.

Only 6,000 students, he said, from a total of 77,000 qualified students in the engineering rank list, had failed to secure the 50 percent marks in maths. which was not a big number.

Chief minister Oommen Chandy, whom the KSFECMA office-bearers met after the meeting, also did not show any sympathy towards their demand.

Moreover, with the prospectus already out stipulating 50 per cent marks in maths as eligibility, KSFECMA office-bearers too have come to realise it’s too late to change the rules this year itself.

At this point, the state government will find it difficult to give directions to the universities too in this respect, as it would invite criticism and court cases alleging interference in the autonomy of the universities.

Government refuses proposal to bring down cut -off in Maths

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