By Express News Service
Published: 11th May 2015 06:01 AM
PUDUCHERRY: A rights forum has urged the UT administration to desist from the proposed move to conduct online counselling for admissions to professional courses through the Centralized Admission Committee (CENTAC).
Addressing reporters on Sunday, Puducherry French Indians Rights Forum (PFIRF) president M Illango said the government decision to go for online counselling will affect the students, especially those from the villages, who are not proficient with the online process.
He demanded the government should revert to the face-to-face personal counselling in order to ensure transparency in the selection process and that only eligible candidates get admitted to the courses of their choice.
Ilanago said the parents of the rural students who depend on internet centres may end up taking the wrong decision for their wards.
Ilango informed that the rights body will meet Chief Minster N Rangasamy and the elected representatives to submit memorandum in this regard. “If the government still chooses to go ahead, then they will move the court against it,” he added.
He said the instructions laid out by the government were confusing and even makes the wards of French citizens, who are enlisted in the French Consulate in Puducherry, reportedly eligible for applying through CENTAC. Also, as per the guidelines, the wards of central government employees who have stayed in Puducherry for even one year are eligible to apply, he said and added that this will deprive eligible candidates.
Illango demanded that a committee comprising of Secretaries to the government, revenue officials, education department officials, elected representatives of the people and social activists should be constituted to verify all the certificates and other documents being issued by the revenue department for the purpose of admission to professional courses prior to the counselling.
Social activist, Balasubramianian, who was with Ilango in the press meet, said that the original Aadhaar cards of all candidates applying through CENTAC, along with the Aadhaar cards of their parents, should be verified and also applications of all the cadidates should be cross checked with the Anna University, Chennai. If a candidate is found to have applied for these courses in both in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, criminal action be initiated against them, he said.
Pointing that last year, nearly 10 students got admission by producing fake domicile certificates, which were later probed and were found to be fake, Balasubraminian said all the culprits were yet to be booked. “This should not happen this year and only the residents of Puducherry and their wards should be benefitted from the CENTAC counseling,” Balasubramanian said.
Another social activist, G Sugumaran, said those who applied under the freedom fighter quota should be the kin of Puducherry Freedom fighter and residing in Puducherry. The eligibility for admission under freedom fighter quota should be finalised only on the basis of the Madras High Court direction in this regard to Anna University last year, he said.
It may be recalled that the CENTAC in its website had already said it will adopt online counseling method for admissions to the professional courses. Dates for the Counseling will be sent through SMS, e-mail and will be updated in the CENTAC website. The students should refer the CENTAC website regularly and the site will be open from 7 am to 7 pm daily. After a week’s gap, CENTAC will publish selection list on the website and provisional allotment will be posted on the website.