APSCHE Goes Ahead Unilaterally, Announces Dates For EAMCET Counseling

The Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) has informed that the notification for counseling for Engineering, Agriculture and Medical Common Entrance Test (EAMCET) candidates in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will be announced on July 30.

The verification of certificates would commence on August 7. Although the officials from Telangana did not participate in the meeting, the APSCHE, as directed by AP Govt, went ahead with announcement of dates. This is even while Telangana went to Supreme Court to postpone the counseling by a month. The TS government’s petition has been pending with the Supreme Court and is scheduled for hearing on August 4.  Telangana principal secretary of higher education, Mr Vikas Raj, has shot off a letter to APSCHE saying he was not attending the meeting as it was convened “unilaterally” without consulting the TS government. As per AP Reorganisation Act, it is not possible to conduct separate counselling by individual states and common counselling has to be conducted for a period of 10 years by duly following existing quotas with regard to local and non-local students. Several top colleges are located in and around Hyderabad and students from the Seemandhra region vie for seats in these colleges in Eamcet counselling under the 20 per cent unreserved quota. 

Telangana government has already announced it’s new scholarship program FAST, which would replace the fee reimbursement scheme, presently in place. This would mean the 20% unreserved quota wont be eligible for the reimbursement scheme, as per nativity norms. Among other guidelines, the State Govt included marks and attendance percentages to limit the scholarship to meritorious students and is working on modalities for the guidelines. It is for this reason, Telangana requested SC for more time to start counseling, while AP opposed it. Now, AP decides it will go ahead unilaterally just as it did with PPAs, Polavaram and Employee issues. On the other hand, Telangana eductaion minister asked AP if it’s willing to do counseling only for its regions and students. If so, Telangana has no objections and they can do so, he said. Telangana would do its own counseling later, he added, knowing all too well AP wont go ahead with counseling as it want to makes a controversy out of Telangana’s new guidelines through FAST scholarship.

Meanwhile, students are waiting with anxiety for the start of the admission process.