82,000 skip EAMCET counselling

Updated on: Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Colleges heading crisis this year with thousands of seats remaining vacant due to shortage of students. Out of 2,42,406 qualified students only 1,59,866 turned

About 82,500 students skipped the Eamcet counselling this year. While 2,42,406 students, who qualified in the Eamcet engineering stream, were called for counselling between July 28 and August 6, only 1,59,866 turned up representing an attendance of only 65.94 per cent.

This has come as a setback for the officials and college managements who anticipated a rise in demand for engineering courses in the wake of 'fee reimbursement scheme'. The scheme was extended to students from economically backward classes (EBCs) apart from reserved categories.

The AICTE has sanctioned 80 new engineering colleges this year taking the total to 640 and the seats to 2.02 lakhs in SW-I.

However, the officials of higher education department tried to play down the issue saying that 'absenteeism' in Eamcet counselling was not new. However, earlier there used to be multiple rounds of personal counselling. But this year, that is not the case with the introduction of web-based counselling.

'In 2006, the attendance percentage was 68.80, in 2007 and 2008 it came down to 63.50 and 59.56 per cent respectively. This year, it went up to 65.94 per cent.There is no need to panic' said Prof K.C. Reddy, the chairman of the AP State Council of Higher Education.

He said the Eamcet admissions committee will meet on August 12. 'We will take a decision on extending the due date in the meeting. Even then, we will allot seats on August 31,' he added.

82,000 skip EAMCET counselling

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