TS Issues Notification For Higher Education Council, To Conduct It’s Own Counseling

The state government on Saturday constituted a separate Telangana State Council of Higher Education. A GO was issued by the education department stating that as per the AP State Council of Higher Education Act (TelanganaAdaptation) order, 2014, the Telangana State Council of Higher Education is deemed to have come into force with effect from June 2, 2014. So Telangana, in effect, is kicking out APSCHE for it’s scheme of things.

The development comes a day after the AP State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) filed an implead petition in the Supreme Court on plea filed by the Telangana government seeking extension for completing the admissions to professional courses and Eamcet counselling till October 31. Addressing the media couple of days ago, APSCHE chairman L Venugopal Reddy had said that the council has decided to go ahead with counselling for the admission process and that it was the competent authority to conduct admissions in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. 

Subsequently, APSCHE issued notification for engineering admissions as per the admission committee’s decision. Venugopal Reddy also said that the Supreme Court has observed that counselling can begin even while the petition filed by the Telangana government seeking extension of admission dates is still to be disposed of.  The APSCHE announced verification of certificates from August 7. However, the Telangana government has asked students in Telangana to ignore the same. 

TRS sources said the formation of the higher education council was a step taken by the KCR regime to ensure that the Telangana students are not forced to take part in the counselling being conducted by the APSCHE. The AP Reorganization Act only states that admissions should be common for the two states for the next 10 years. This does not stop Telangana from forming its own higher education council. Section 101 of the AP Reorganization Act empowers Telangana government to make adaptations and modifications of any law of the Act made before June 2, 2014, whether by way of repeal or amendment, says the GO No: 5 released by the Government.

The GO made vice-chancellors of Osmania University, Kakatiya University, JNTU, Telangana University, Mahatma Gandhi University, Palamuru University and Satavahana University ex-officio members of the council.