SFCs reopened to help students without internet
CHENNAI: In a bid to help engineering aspirants who do not have internet access to participate in online counselling, the Directorate of Technical Education (DoTE) has reopened all the students’ facilitation centres (SFC) across the State so that they could pay the fees and also fill their choice of course and colleges.
The move came after candidates, especially rural students, faced several issues while uploading original certificates during the admission process due to poor internet access. After receiving online applications from the students, the directorate had opened more than 50 SFCs across the State, including six in Chennai, to verify original certificates before announcing merit list.
But due to the pandemic situation, students were instructed not to go to facilitation centre for certificate verification to ensure safety. Instead, the original certificates that students uploaded were verified online for the first time.
To avoid students travelling in the midst of the pandemic, the government then decided to conduct the counselling online where candidates are allocated specific time to participate.
“Following requests from students that they might not be able to participate online counselling due to lack of computer and internet facilities, DoTE has made elaborate arrangements to reopen facilitation centres,” a senior official told DT Next. Aspirants may visit the centres nearby to remit the initial payment and file their choice of course and college, he added.
Each facilitation centre would be under a DoTE zonal coordinator, and would have all facilities including experts and officials to help students during the admission process. “Once they pay the initial fee and choose course and institution, the tentative allotment will be immediately given them,” said the official.
According to him, the students will be informed about the provisional allocation through phone so that they could visit the facilitation centre to collect the official allotment letter.