COLLEGES DON’T WAIT, FILL UP SEATS

Corporate Intermediate colleges are going ahead with admissions even before the SSC results are out, and ahead of the admission notification that is to be issued by the government. Colleges have to fill seats only after the Intermediate board issues the notification after the vacation.

While this is the usual practice, this year the Intermediate board is mulling introducing common admissions.

Colleges are asking parents, especially those who intend to admit children for Intermediate along with coaching for entrance tests like JEE, NEET or Eamcet, to shell out advances and block seats.

For day scholars, the advance is up to `5,000, and those seeking hostels, up to `10,000. More than half the seats have been ‘booked’ in some branches of these colleges.

If the government’s plan to have common admissions comes through, all seats in each of the affiliated college will be put up on the website once window opens. Students can give options of colleges and admission will be based on merit.

College managements are not worried. “Instead of the students, college staff will submit the online registrations. While blocking seats, we are asking parents to give at least three options in nearby areas as most of the corporate colleges have multiple branches in the state capital,” a faculty member from a college said.

The government faces a big hurdle in implementing common admissions due to lack of complete data pertaining to about 2,000 private colleges. All the data has to be gathered by the board before it can think of taking admissions online. Education minister Kadiam Srihari pointed out that even fee fixation had to be done.

Mr Gouri Satish of Telangana Private Junior College Managements Association backed online admissions, saying it would check irregularities to a certain extent.

Mr P. Somireddy of Retired Lecturers Association felt that prior admissions by colleges would defeat the purpose of the online system,