TN government defends single-window system for engineering admissions

The Tamil Nadu government today told the Madras High Court that the single-window admission system to engineering colleges allows the socio-economically weaker students to access all courses of all colleges in the state and choose one of them by filing a single admission form.

The state government made this submission defending the single-window admission system to engineering colleges in the state in its affidavit filed before the bench of Justice K Ravichandra Baabu.

The affidavit was filed in response to a plea seeking to scrap the single-window system for admissions for 2017-18.

The affidavit filed by the Department of Higher Education secretary and Technical Education director said the single window counselling provides an opportunity to SEBC students to have access to various courses of all institutions all over the state by filing a single form for Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions (TNEA).

The state's single-window admission system had been challenged by the Self-Financing Engineering Colleges Management Association of the Tirunelveli Anna University of Technology.

The association had sought permission to the private colleges to fill up their seats in enginneering courses on their own.

The petitioner, had later amended the prayer and sought permission to private institutions to admit students under government quota on the fees fixed by the Fee Fixation Committee for the academic year 2017-18.

When the matter came up before Justice Baabu, he directed the additional advocate general to get instructions on the amended prayer and posted the matter for further hearing on July 26.

The authorities, in their counter-affidavit, further said the system ensured that the reservation policies of state and Central government such as sports quota, ex-service men and others are also met.

That apart, the state government also provides the first generation graduates fee waiver to students admitted under this counselling irrespective of his socio-economic status, the affidavit said.

The government further said the Tamil Nadu Engineering Admission for academic year 2017-18 had already commenced on July 17 and scrapping it would create confusion among students.

The system ensures transparency and non-exploitation and has been repeatedly endorsed by the Supreme Court, the affidavit said.

It further said a total of 526 self-financing (387 nonminority and 99 minority) engineering colleges had consented to the government to share with the state 65 per cent of their seats in non-minority institutions and 50 per cent in minority institutions for TNEA 2017 and were also willing to participate in counselling conducted by Anna University for the academic year.

The government also sought dismissal of the plea on the sole ground that it had been filed at the eleventh hour.